The Siren's Call
by Sybl Angelkat
Summary: Esme is killed defending Bella and Renesmee when some don't agree with Aro's decision. Two years later, Carlisle is struggling to go on with life in another country. Another threatens the Cullens' peace-will she be a danger or just what Carlisle needs?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Definitely not my first fiction, but it is my first Twilight fanfiction. Please don't flame me; I take suggestions and constructive criticism, but there's no call for being nasty about it. It IS a free site. Hopefully I'll gather reviewers as I go. It's an idea I invented during a sleepless night.

_Two years after Breaking Dawn...the Volturi have left the Cullens in peace, but not everyone was happy with Aro's decision...they fought off the attackers, but at a great cost. With Esme Cullen gone and Carlisle grief-stricken and vulnerable, there is another force that threatens to disturb the peace. But will she be dangerous and deadly to our favorite blonde doctor or just the thing he needs? Rated T for future situations._

Chapter 1.....A Storm Is Brewing

The English countryside was very quiet except for the wind that was blowing. Lavender-gray clouds loomed overhead, threatening storms and rain any second. The green of the leaves and grass seemed abnormally bright compared to the gloomy clouds. Out here in the middle of the woods, a seemingly ancient manor sat. To the east, hills gently rolled away, covered in trees. To the west, there was a field that stretched for as far as the eye could see with gently waving grasses. The manor itself was cradled in a very small valley.

In the back yard, there was a marble white tombstone with an angel's figure curving around one side and the top. The stone itself was carved into the shape of a heart, then the base was rectangular. The angel's eternally motionless hand gestured to the words etched there: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF ESME CULLEN".

Another figure appeared, this time, something with movement. His skin was as white as the grave and his blonde hair fanned out in the direction of the wind. In his right hand, he carried a single blood-red rose. Kneeling next to the stone with care, he carefully slid the long stem of the rose underneath the angel's hand.

It had been two very long years. He knelt silently beside the stone angel and sat every bit as still as she did. All that remained of his love was a pile of ashes. When the Volturi had come to see Bella and Renesmee, they had decided that Renesmee could live in peace without further interference. But a few of them were extremely unhappy with Aro's decision. The ones that disagreed returned without Aro's permission and tried to attack Bella and Renesmee. Esme had bravely put herself between Bella, Renesmee, and her would-be attackers. Carlisle, Edward, and the others had hurried to Bella's aid, but they were too late to save Esme. By the time they managed to get there, Esme was nothing more than a pile of ash. Bella and Renesmee still carried an immense load of guilt about it; they thought they were to blame for the sweet Cullen mother's death. Carlisle insisted to them that he would never blame them for it, but they weren't convinced.

At first, it had been rather hard. Carlisle would go months without feeding and be exceptionally cranky to those around him. He still did his job at the hospital, but with an air of detachment at first. He crammed as many patients into a day as he could and worked massive amounts of extra hours. They knew he was trying to keep busy so that the pain didn't overwhelm him. The Cullens had moved overseas to England, knowing that he could not stand to stay in Forks where the memories were. The first year was difficult for everyone to adjust to, but they did it by working together. This year had been hard, but it was better. Carlisle still felt the pain considerably, but he had moments where he could escape it.

Today was not the day.

He closed his eyes, remembering. They'd been to England before. Esme had loved it here; her favorite thing was to fix up all these old English mansions. She'd constantly been employed here. In her spare time, she liked to ride horses. It had become a ritual of theirs to do it at least once a week. The others would always inquire as to where they were when they stayed gone overnight. They would just smile conspiratorially at each other and tell the others they got lost. The others never bought it, of course, but at least they didn't have to speak the truth out loud.

The breeze shifted and a strange scent caught his nose. He raised his head, inhaling deeply. It was a warm, earthy smell; a mixture of blueberries and fall leaves. He'd been smelling it since they moved here; none of them recognized that scent. Underneath it, however, he could smell something else: blood. Which kind of blood it was, he was unsure.

He vaguely wondered if it would taste as good and as sweet as it smelled, then caught himself. What if that creature was a human? He could never consider harming a human, no matter what.

_Esme...I wish you were here so much..._

Carlisle was unaware that he was being watched. Hidden somewhere within the trees, a pair of dark eyes watched him. Seeing him raise his head and sniff the air, she made no sound at all as she backed away. She knew perfectly well what he was and it wouldn't do to tempt him. This was her land; she'd allowed them to move onto it without any protests or problems. They didn't know she was here other than her unusual scent. None of them had ever seen a Siren, so they didn't know the smell. The wolves had come closer to discovering her, though, so she had to take special precautions in hiding her home. The old castle to the west (which everyone thought was nothing more than mere ruins) was her home. She'd taken great care in disguising it with her illusions. She shape-shifted often on the way home so that her scent would change. It had worked so far.

But she was fascinated with this young blonde doctor. He seemed so...broken. When most of them had been out of the house, she'd transformed into a house cat and crept up to the grave to read the inscription.

It had to be his lover, there was no other way around it. Why else would he seem so injured; so grief-stricken?

She had stayed there for a moment, sniffing the air with her delicate pink nose. Gosh, he smelled good! His scent almost overwhelmed her. She longed to get closer to him, but was unsure how. Then, the black car had pulled in. She had darted around the tombstone to hide as the door banged closed and he walked up the steps to the house. No...it was too risky for sure...

She had resigned herself to stay outside. But the temptation was getting bigger.

As a Siren, she rarely needed to eat in the conventional sense. Sirens were made to sing to their opposite gender, then absorb their heightened emotional and sexual energy. She often did eat human food, but it was just because she enjoyed the tastes of certain things. Certain men's energy called to her more than others, and he was one of them. The vampires and the Sirens often didn't realize that they used the same description for the same thing: _la tua encantante-- "your singer"._

Oh, yes, he was her singer. And he didn't even know it. She'd fantasized many nights about his energy flowing into her body like a golden mist, making her stronger, filling her with its sweetness as she sang to him.

She shook the thought out of her head. It was better that he did not know. Feeling somewhat empty, she retreated back to her castle, but the beautiful vampire doctor would not leave her thoughts alone. His grief-stricken face chased her around wherever she went.

That night, Carlisle Cullen had a very unusual feeling. His body felt...heavy. It was something he hadn't felt in so many years that he'd nearly forgotten what it was. His dark eyes began to close of their own accord. His head slumped forward to rest on his arm as he was sitting at his desk. He was suddenly so tired....but why? Vampires didn't get tired! He fought it as much as he could, but he could fight no longer. He drifted away.

_She was there in the center of the mall, the fledgling band behind her being put to shame as she sang. Nothing around them could compare to her. She seemed so ordinary...and yet, she didn't. When she opened her mouth, her rich alto voice spilled across the air, casting a spell over all of them. Edward frowned suspiciously. He was the only one that didn't fall under the woman's spell because he'd already found his "singer". Carlisle, too, had not succumbed to the spell, but for entirely different reasons. His throat tingled unpleasantly, then began to burn very hot. His body quivered with a newfound energy. The smell was intoxicating very suddenly as his sensitive ears picked out the wet sound of her heartbeat from everyone else's. A smaller second beat sounded behind the first...wait, two heartbeats?_

_"Carlisle, we have to get out of here," Edward urged him, "she's not human! She knows what we are!"_

I don't care..._his thoughts hissed lustily, _it won't matter soon...

_The venom coated his teeth and his entire body tingled. He was vaguely aware of Edward dragging him out of the chair he was sitting in. The others were cheering for the singer. She looked down from her platform stage and gazed at Carlisle. A feral grin lit her face. She licked her lips and made a very subtle biting gesture, indicating that she indeed knew what he was. That small gesture had all but unhinged him and he started pulling away from Edward. Jasper and Emmett, sensing there was trouble, emerged from wherever they had gone. Jasper's usual talent wasn't working today. Carlisle tore free of Edward's grasp and leapt up onto the stage. The audience was obviously surprised, muttering amongst themselves. The burning in his throat was the most intense he had ever felt. Within a fraction of a second, he had pinned her arms to her sides, standing behind her. He felt the gooseflesh rise on her skin as his breath grazed her exposed neck. She laughed as if testing him to see if he would do it. Then, his teeth sank into her skin. The horrified yells of his family were drowned out as the blood rushed to the surface...and it tasted every bit as good as it smelled..._

_It was over much too quickly. Drained of all that she had, the woman had fallen limp in his arms. He licked the last drops from her fair skin, noticing it had a slight golden sheen to it. Then, he realized that her blood was not red, but golden as well. _

_The audience was horror struck. The others, his family, ran towards him and pulled him off the stage. They ran so fast that none of the security guards could hope to catch them. With the golden blood sloshing around on his insides, Carlisle felt mentally sick at what he had just done. He knew he would never be able to forgive himself...._

Carlisle woke with a start. He wondered how long he had been sitting there and realized it had been about two hours. Now, he was frightened, a feeling he'd rarely felt. It made him nervous.

Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe he'd just been sitting still and zoning out so much that it gave him the illusion of sleep. Maybe he had just been thinking of random things and lost track as his mind wandered. He refused to believe he'd actually been asleep. Deciding he needed something to occupy his time better, he left.

Downstairs, Edward was frozen and so was Alice. Bella was trying to snap them both out of it, but she was unable to. Alice was having a vision and Edward always froze when he panicked.

"Carlisle had a dream," Edward finally said.

"What?!" Bella yelped.

"He...fell asleep, almost like he was under a trance," Edward choked out, "something...someone's after him and it's not good."

"But what would be stupid enough to try to do something with a vampire?" Bella asked.

"Something that's even stronger than one," Edward whispered gravely.

"Alice, what did you see?" Bella asked when Alice was finally looking at her.

"Something I don't recognize," Alice said wearily, "pale skin with a golden sheen, dark eyes, golden hair. Ivory wings with gold tips. She sings. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that she was a Siren."

"But Sirens don't exist, do they?" Edward asked.

Bella sighed. She knew the answer to this one.

"Face it, guys, if vampires and werewolves can exist, why can't Sirens?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: I'm floored by so many adding this to the favorites list when I've only written one chapter. That makes me feel very good! Thank you all for continuing!

Carlisle: (looks confused) "How did I end up in a college dormitory?"

Me: (chuckles) "You're a little new at this, aren't you? Whenever the fangirls start writing about you, you have to go visit them. You're a muse now."

Carlisle: (looks around at the clothes and pizza boxes in the floor) "How long must I stay?"

Me: "Until I finish this story. You'd better make yourself comfortable."

Carlisle: (sighs) "I should never have listened to Emmett and Edward when I made that left turn in the woods."

Me: (grins)

The woods were dark as Carlisle's heightened senses kicked in. Despite his pale skin, he blended into the shadows easily. The cold air contrasted sharply with the fire in his throat. He moved as silently as death itself. The scent of a deer caught his attention. If he'd had a pulse, it would have been beating in his ears. Venom began to coat his teeth, emerging from the glands in his gums. It felt like a hot tingle, the way your mouth feels when you eat a pepper. His dark onyx eyes gleamed with an animalistic light. This was one place that all of his careful inhibitions could be unleashed and he could be the creature of the night he was created to be.

A movement caused him to turn his head. Growling more with pleasure than anything, he dashed towards his prey. The poor thing didn't even know what hit it. Carlisle saw the buck only a split second before his teeth broke the skin. The animal jerked, getting loose only for a moment. Its heartbeat was a wet, squishy sound that slowed quickly. It dropped after only running a few yards. Carlisle caught up with it easily. His lips caressed the creature's throat, finding the vein closest to the skin. The blood gushed into his mouth and his vampire senses were intensified. The blood felt warm and smooth as velvet as it slid down his throat and pooled in his stomach. For a brief moment after he released the now drained animal, his breath came out in a cloud of mist from the blood's heat. He sat perfectly still for a moment as the sense of contentment washed over him. He saw another one and took off again.

Two or three later, he was feeling much better. Stretching out against a tree trunk, he sat in the cool grass. His belly was expanded from the blood and there was a small sloshing sound whenever he walked. It was peaceful out here in the woods. The cold air helped to calm his feverish thoughts. The moon shone on his pale skin, making it shine beautifully. He closed his eyes, dreaming that Esme could be here on such a beautiful night.

Now that his thirst was sated, the faint unfamiliar smell that had caused so much trouble didn't affect him quite so much. Carlisle felt an almost strange comfort with it. It somehow seemed closer tonight and he wondered if the source was living or not. Curiosity got the better of him and he stood. Moving slowly and quietly like a panther, he made his way through the woods. He'd never actually been out here before and was pleased to see new surroundings. All of this looked like something one would see in paintings or stories. The smell of water spoke of a lake nearby, or at least a pond. The next thing he knew, a shimmering pool spread out before him.

It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. The pond wasn't terribly big, but there was a small dock and a little rowboat, enough to fit two grown people or four children in. Next to it was a gazebo on a small hill. A small path led him in a curve around the pond towards a clump of dense trees. The tantalizing scent he'd smelled earlier was getting a bit stronger here. The dirt path turned into carefully laid stones as he progressed. The path looked ancient and weather-worn, but the stones were perfectly smooth. He suspected that the most delicate human feet could walk bare here and not be hurt at all. As he cleared the trees, he was surprised that the branches formed a natural arch above him.

What he saw next was rather unexpected.

The ruins of an old castle stood here. One tower was still completely intact and even had glass windows. From here, it looked like stained glass. One wall seemed largely intact except for a few missing chunks. The rest of the castle had bits and pieces standing, but most of the bricks were crumbled on the ground. The moonlight lit the ruins and gave them a magical look.

Carlisle had stopped believing in fairy tales long ago, but he couldn't deny that this place had a strange, tragic beauty about it. He could imagine many battles taking place here, swords clanging together and dreams dying with the last breath. Vines snaked up some of the crumbling ruins, coating them in leafy softness. The trees and the crumbling stones cast shadows everywhere and they moved slightly like living, breathing things. He stood perfectly still for a moment, listening and taking in the surroundings.

Something in the back of his mind told him that he should stay away from the castle. There was no physical danger, as even if one of the towers fell on him, he could punch his way out easily. But there was something else there; a kind of warning sensation. It was as though this place had lain untouched and forgotten for centuries and he was about to violate something sacred.

But he cautiously stepped forward anyway. The smell was at its strongest here. He was startled when he started to move towards the castle and he banged face-first into something solid. Puzzled, he backed up. What was that?

He was confused. There was nothing more than thin air where he stood. Cautiously, he stretched out a hand and smacked at the air. Something invisible, yet perfectly solid resonated with a bang.

An illusion?

Who or what was living out here that needed to hide this badly? He walked along the invisible wall, feeling for some sort of opening. If this being was dangerous, he didn't want to upset it by smashing a hole in it. Unfortunately, he had no such luck. He couldn't find one. It was almost like being blind!

After a while, he gave up and wandered around in bigger and bigger circles from the castle. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for...was he hoping he'd figure out whose or what's scent was making him crazy?

When he returned home, nobody asked. He said nothing to anyone as he went straight up to his own room. Closing the door quietly behind him, he settled himself into the window seat. It would have been just as comfortable without the piles of pillows there, but Alice insisted that his room needed a "makeover". He shoved most of them out of the way before getting situated.

His room faced those woods. Staring into the silent, dark trees, he wished he knew their secrets.

She had watched him from inside the castle. His teasing scent had caught her nose as he was hunting. He was giving off the tiniest bit of heat more than usual, indicating that he was very active tonight. She could sense his painful thirstiness, then his intense gratitude as he fed. His energy began to get stronger and louder. He had ventured right up to the castle without very much fear at all...brave man. She admired him for it. She had the giggles when he smacked into the wall and was feeling around for an opening. It made her smile when he realized that the open air was an illusion. Thankfully, he was feeling too high to discover her secret entrance. If he had dropped his hand to the level of his hip, he would have found it almost immediately after realizing it was an illusion. He was a clever one, yes, but a bit too cautious.

For now, she was grateful that he was so cautious. Despite her lust and hunger, she knew it was not quite time for him to discover her home yet. An artist such as her should not rush these things...matters of the heart took time.

She would never forget his beauty in the moonlight, the childlike curiosity of his face as he wandered around. His skin had shone wonderfully in the moonlight. Knowing she must somehow capture this, she hurried to her special room. Working feverishly into the night, she spent a great deal of time mixing the colors just right. Her paintbrush moved across the canvas almost of its own accord. Shades of blue, silver, black, and gray appeared first, then highlights of unexpected colors came in to give it depth. Soon, she had a near-perfect image of Carlisle standing at the edge of the pond, staring down at his own reflection with the moon behind him. The smell of acrylic paint had filled the air. She opened the nearby window to let it escape. Carefully framing it in a smoothly sanded oak frame, she carried it towards the wall. A charcoal sketch of Carlisle kneeling next to Esme's grave already hung there as well as what was supposed to be a "family portrait"--all of the Cullens together with Carlisle right in the center and what she imagined Esme to look like drawn transparently like a ghost in the background. By the time she finished cleaning up, it was almost daybreak. Satisfied, she bathed herself to rinse away the paint smells and got ready. Transforming into her human form, she got dressed and headed towards the mall. Today was a working day and she would be doing what she did best. She was only too aware that today was good Dr. Cullen's day off. Her mind-reading wasn't nearly as good as Edward's, but she knew they were planning to go to the mall in preparation for Renesmee's upcoming birthday. The girl was only two years old, but she looked ten.

He was sure to come along. She smiled to herself. He would see her for the first time. The illusion of the dream she'd given him was sure to keep him on his guard for her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: ONE REVIEW??!!! Aww, come on guys! You can do better than that! As many Twilighters as we have on here, surely to God some of you can take five seconds out of your busy schedule to write to this poor, lonely, starving-college-student authoress! *cries*

Carlisle: (raises an eyebrow) Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?

Me: (sighs) It's an artist thing. I'm taking time out of my studies to write this story!

Carlisle: (stares at the stack of textbooks that have cobwebs on them) What exactly is it that you study?

Me: (growls) Never mind! Maybe if I write another chapter someone will take it seriously. (pecks furiously at the keyboard)

Carlisle had not been this uneasy in years. As the Cullens splintered off in their separate directions, he stood in the middle of the mall. Jasper and Emmett decided to get some new baseball equipment, as their old stuff was completely worn out. Alice, Bella, and Rosalie had gone to do some shopping for Renesmee's birthday party (it was technically her second one, but she looked ten). That left Edward and Carlisle. Edward was drifting towards some other store. Carlisle couldn't figure out what it was he was looking at, so he started to wander as well. They had agreed to meet in this spot in an hour's time.

The mall wasn't his most favorite place in the world. It was too crowded and noisy and he became bored within seconds. He began to wander off as well.

The slightest shift in the breeze brought a new smell to his sensitive nose. He inhaled deeply.

Blueberries. Lavender.

Oh, no....

_Blood._

But not just any blood. _La tua cantante.... _

He found himself being drawn towards that wonderful smell. His legs moved of their own accord. Try as he might to resist, he couldn't.

Standing on a platform that served as a makeshift stage, there was a drummer, a guitarist, and a keyboard player. In front of all of them was a woman slightly younger than his mortal age: she couldn't have been more than twenty-one. She held the microphone...and she held everyone around her captivated. Carlisle realized that this wonderful smell was coming from her.

One of the hazards of meeting _la tua cantante _was that you not only became thirsty for their blood, but you became emotionally captured as well. So many different thoughts flickered through his mind at once that it almost made him dizzy. He couldn't stop gazing up at her. She was even more beautiful in person than she had been in his dream.

She saw him. Dark coffee-colored eyes met liquid gold. Carlisle's thoughts were screaming, pleading, begging her not to tease him as it was hard enough to remain still. Surprisingly enough, she didn't. Instead of egging him on, she gave him a shy smile. The song she was singing ended and another began.

"_Watch my life,  
Pass me by,  
In the rear view mirror  
Pictures frozen in time  
Are becoming clearer  
I don't wanna waste another day  
Stuck in the shadow of my mistakes..."_

As her voice escalated, Carlisle felt the sharp pains of grief from Esme's death carving him apart. He could not disguise the pain in his eyes and the world around him washed out of focus. Right now, it was only he and his singer that existed.

_Cause I want you,  
And I feel you,  
Crawling underneath my skin  
Like a hunger,  
Like a burning,_

Carlisle's throat felt as though it was on fire. It seemed to make him ache all over. If he could cry actual tears, he would have been doing it right there on the spot. He was being held together by a thread.

_  
To find a place I've never been  
Now I'm broken,  
And I'm faded,  
I'm half the girl I thought I would be:  
But you can have what's left of me_

The piano music was gentle, soft. It took the edge off of his pain just enough for him to notice her look of concern at him.

_I've been dying inside,  
Little by little,  
No where to go,  
But going out of my mind  
In endless circles,  
Running from my self until,  
You gave me a reason for standing still_

The tone of her voice suddenly changed. It was as if she was singing directly to him, no longer cutting him apart, but seeking to heal him instead. He suddenly felt a strange sensation. He felt as though something was draining all of his sadness out of him, leaving an almost euphoric feeling.

_It's falling faster,  
Barely breathing,  
Give me something,  
To believe in  
Tell me: It's not all in my head...._

It seemed ironic that the last line was exactly what he'd been thinking.

_Cause I want you,  
And I feel you,  
Crawling underneath my skin  
Like a hunger,  
Like a burning,  
To find a place I've never been  
Now I'm broken,  
And I'm faded,  
I'm half the girl I thought I would be:  
But you can have what's left of me....._

Instead of singing the last of it, they left the song right there and the music began to fade. Carlisle was surprised to find that his sadness (at least for the moment), was gone. There was a strange tingling sensation all over his body. Despite his euphoria, he felt drained somehow. His body felt strangely heavy and he sat down on a nearby bench. He'd hoped she would sing another song, but everyone decided to have a break and wandered off.

"Hi."

Carlisle nearly jumped out of his skin. He was tempted to hold his breath, but he couldn't.

"Hello," he returned nervously.

His singer flipped her hair back, a gesture that nearly unhinged him.

"Did I strike a few nerves up there? You looked like you remembered something really heavy."

_Great. A female version of Edward._

He didn't know what to say. Luckily, one of her bandmates came over.

"Hey, Dawn, let's go get some pizza. I'm buying!"

She gave Carlisle an apologetic smile.

"I guess that means I'll see you later."

Before she even asked, she seemed to know that he wouldn't come with them. She walked away. Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief when her scent became very faint.

"That's going to be a problem, isn't it?"

Edward appeared on the bench next to him.

_That's who we've been smelling...she must live very close to our home,_ Carlisle thought, _I had hoped she wasn't human._

"She's not," Edward said, "she's a Siren. While she sang, she drained your energy. She was feeding off of your grief. I saw her do it."

Carlisle stared at him in disbelief.

_She WHAT?!_

"Yeah. Why do you think you feel so high right now? Your eyes are dark," Edward told him, "she got you stirred up so that she could absorb it."

_How could she do such a thing? Why me?_

"Because she's your singer, Carlisle, and you're hers, too."

Edward chuckled as the string of obscenities raced through Carlisle's thoughts. His face was clouded with grim nervousness and uncertainty.

_Are you sure that she is what you say she is?_

"I couldn't be more sure. Jacob and I took Renesmee to hunt and we got bored, if you can believe that. He started telling me some old legend about 'the woman-bird'. Turns out, that girl's a Siren. She's older than you are. I didn't make the connection until I saw her. She smells nothing like a human."

Carlisle had to agree with him.

He glanced over at her.

_Dawn....For some reason, I was expecting something less....ordinary._

She was sitting at the table laughing at something the guitar player said. He watched her eat four slices of pizza very, very quickly and start on a fifth. The others around her stared, but her bandmates acted used to it. When Alice, Bella, and Rosalie returned, they seemed to know something that the men didn't. Alice was grinning ear to ear and giggling. Rosalie certainly didn't look amused at all; she seemed a little irritated. Bella seemed concerned. Jasper and Emmett approached from the other direction. They looked like two children in a candy store. There wasn't a doubt in Carlisle's mind that they'd found what they were looking for.

"Did she see something?" Carlisle couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, she did," Edward said, looking amused.

"Well?"

It was at that moment that they shared knowing looks.

"You're probably better off not knowing right this second," Alice said, "if I tell you, it might wreck it."

Carlisle's insistence couldn't coax it out of her. To his dismay, it was time to go home. He watched Dawn on the way out. She looked up at him and smiled. Out of reflex, he smiled back.

"What was that all about?" Emmett asked when they came outside.

"You'll see soon," Alice promised him, her voice overflowing with amusement.

Carlisle was silent on the way home. The others changed the subject quickly, but he never tuned into the conversation. He was thinking about _her._

If she truly lived as close to them as he knew she did, he had to figure out a way to get closer. He knew in his mind that it was risky, but the base instinct fighting its way to the surface was overriding his caution.

"Your eyes are looking a little dark, Carlisle," Edward commented, "you look like you could use a hunt."

He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror and was instantly puzzled. His eyes hadn't been this dark this morning...

"The Siren," Edward mouthed. He nodded almost imperceptibly as the cars pulled into the driveway. The others didn't notice him slink off into the woods.

The sun broke through the clouds. Carlisle removed his jacket and hung it on a nearby tree branch. He couldn't believe he'd just drank last night and was thirsty again. _La tua cantante _could do that to a vampire, he supposed.

He breathed in deeply. He could smell a wolf nearby, one that wasn't Jacob, Seth, or Leah. And this wolf smelled good. Licking his lips, he inhaled deeply, trying to catch the scent. A gray blur caught his attention. He could smell more than one--the one who's scent he had was pregnant. Deciding not to take that one, he waited for another scent to attract him. Another female, one that had no pups, was wandering nearby. Carlisle immediately gave chase. He moved so fast that the trees were green and brown blurs. Just as he raised his head, the sun broke through the clouds and shone on the clearing. Since there weren't any people around, he didn't have to worry about it. His skin shone brilliantly, like diamonds. Little rainbows sparkled everywhere as he continued to hunt. Feeling quite contented, he stretched out in the meadow. The sun was shining brightly and the air was quite warm.

Funny...

He was beginning to feel sleepy again. This time, he did not fight it. It was such a hazy, warm, pleasant feeling that he had no urges to fight it. His eyelids slid closed as he rested in the cool grass. The breeze seemed to caress his cheek.

This time, he dreamed about soft, warm hands touching him and kisses. Whether it was Esme or someone else, he could not remember.

She knelt over him. Confident that he wouldn't wake up as long as she cast the illusion of sleep over his body and mind, she stroked his face. His skin was smooth and cold, like living stone. It was as though some angel had chiseled him from a chunk of marble. She didn't dare kiss him or anything like that; no...she wanted him to come to her willingly.

She remembered him earlier at the mall. She could feel the weight of his grief on her own shoulders. The desires to suck the life out of him had been overwhelming, but she'd done something very unusual. Instead of feeding on the raw sexual and emotional energy that she usually took her nourishment from, she'd enticed his grief to the surface and stolen that away. Even his negative emotions were bitter-sweet and more filling than anything she'd ever experienced. She hadn't meant to steal as much of his energy as she had, but it had been difficult to stop when she had.

She caressed his cheek and smoothed his hair back. He couldn't have been more than twenty-three when he'd been transformed. He looked even younger in his sleep. The only thing that made him passable as older was the age in his eyes. Though he was young and active-looking, there was a type of ancient-ness in his eyes that showed the years etched into his memory.

As Dawn knelt in the grass next to him, he whispered a single word: "_Esme_".

Esme?

"My poor vampire," Dawn whispered, "how terrible it must be to lose a mate of so many years."

He turned his face towards her hand, his cheek fitting perfectly into her palm.

"Esme..." he repeated again, this time, sounding as though he was begging her not to go. He began to cry tearlessly, stirring restlessly. She hugged him to her chest. If Dawn had her way, he would never hurt again.

"_In the arms of the angels..._

_fly away from here..._

_from this dark cold hotel room..._

_and the endlessness that you fear..._

_you are brought from the wreckage..._

_from your silent reverie..._

_you're in the arms of the angels..._

_may you find..._

_some comfort here..."_

His grief welled up again even though he was fast asleep. She placed her hand over his eternally frozen heart. The dark energy, all of his pain, sadness, anger, and guilt was drawn from under his skin. A dark cloud appeared around her hand. She closed her eyes and it was drawn up her arm into her body. The sadness and grief were bitter, but the slightest bit of sweetness made it much more tolerable. It was like adding sugar to a bitter tea. She concentrated until she had drained just the grief. His eyes opened, but they were glassy and unseeing. They were still bright golden, a good sign.

"There," she whispered, "you know how to mend everything but a broken heart. Let me help you put the pieces back together."

Carlisle's thoughts were a confused cloud. Was he awake or was he dreaming? Esme's face had melted into the golden-haired Siren's.

He fought against the sleepiness he was feeling and blinked. The world came sharply into focus. Before the Siren could feel his muscles tensing, he pulled away from her and rolled a couple of times before getting up. Instinctively, he growled.

Dawn looked at him, surprised.

"Dr. Cullen...calm yourself."

He stared at her, disbelieving. Her voice cut through the vampire instincts like a sharp sword.

"You-" he managed.

Understanding that this was an accusation, she nodded.

"Yes."

He crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly angry. It took a lot to make Carlisle angry, but he was angry now. He felt violated and deceived, but he couldn't stop staring at her. Just as his skin glittered and threw little rainbows everywhere, Dawn's skin had a beautiful golden sheen and cast a golden light. She was in her true form right now: her skin was much more golden now and two ivory-white wings flowed from her back. The outside edges of the wings were tipped with golden feathers. She wore a white halter top so that her wings had freedom to move, a short black denim skirt, and a pair of black calf-length boots. Despite his fury with her, he couldn't deny how..._delicious_ she looked.

"Why?!" he suddenly demanded.

"Just as you vampires have 'singers'," Dawn said smoothly, "we do as well."

If Carlisle had been alive, the blood would have drained from his face. She knew the Cullens' secret. He was hyper-aware of the sound of _two_ heartbeats within her; one from her chest and one from her abdominal cavity.

"I won't tell anyone," she said lightly, "but I want you to stay here for a while."

"While what? You endanger my family and I?" Carlisle exploded.

He punched a nearby boulder and it splintered into several pieces. Dawn seemed relatively unphased by this show of temper.

"How am I endangering you?" she asked, her tone rather coy.

"Because-"

He sighed in frustration.

"My blood makes you crazy? You could try to bite me, you know. I wouldn't stop you."

He shook his head, fighting against the burning in his throat.

Dawn held up one finger. Out of the delicate-looking nail bed, a black claw suddenly shot out. Giving him a defiant smile, she traced the outline of her collar bone and a small line of golden blood appeared.

Carlisle's instincts seized him so fast that he didn't have time to fight it. He launched towards her, pinning her to the ground in a matter of seconds. His thoughts fluttered against the fire in his throat, but they shuddered and went still. He moved to snap his teeth into her neck, but he was surprised when his teeth made only a scraping sound. There wasn't a dent in Dawn's skin at all. Frustrated, he tried again. Nothing. After biting against unmovable flesh until his jaws began to ache, he finally regained control of himself and got off of her. Embarrassed, he held his hand out to help her up.

"See? I may be vulnerable as a human, but in my natural form, I am every bit as indestructible as you are," she said.

He blinked in disbelief.

"That didn't hurt? At all?"

She shook her head.

"No. Not in the slightest. In fact, it tickled."

Something inside of him was offended, but he pushed that aside.

"What do you take from me, then?" he demanded, still angry.

"Energy," she said dismissively, "I am what most people call an 'emotional vampire'. I sing and make their emotions loud and strong. Then, I drain them."

Carlisle was furious and she could see it.

"I didn't take any of your good energy," she assured him, "I only fed off of your grief. I have no desire to kill you or make you miserable. Just as my blood is irresistible to you, your energy is irresistible to me. Your very presence can cause me to become wild."

Shock replaced anger in his face. He squirmed uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. He'd never been in such an odd situation before.

"I-we-uh," Carlisle took a breath and started over, "we can't stay. Not like this."

"You will," Dawn said, a hint of a threat in her voice, "for a few years. If you try to go, I will follow you. And I can do things to vampires that you cannot do to me."

Carlisle suddenly felt exhausted, but it was mental exhaustion.

"Consider it carefully, Doctor," she said, the last word filled with venom, "that your family means everything to you. You wouldn't want any _unfortunate_ accidents."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked angrily.

"No," Dawn said easily, "threats are empty words. That is a promise."

He was being used and he hated her for it.

"Admit it, Carlisle. You couldn't leave me if you tried and you know it."

"I could," he snapped, "your shallowness repulses me."

He was telling the truth. He was angry enough with her right now that it didn't matter. Not even the sweetness of her blood, which called to him, could make him give in.

"You stay away from my family!" he thundered before running away.

He didn't look back.

Dawn herself was shaking with fury, but tears began to flow. This had NOT gone as she'd planned. Not at all! She'd hoped that she'd have some time to prepare before he saw her here and realized that she was living so close. She'd wanted the beautiful blonde vampire to fall in love with her.

But she'd ruined it. Like every other time she'd failed to attract a mate, Dawn had been far too forceful. She began to tremble as a cold wind suddenly swept over her. She looked up when something wet hit her shoulder. The usual rain clouds were gathering. Feeling defeated, she went back to her castle as the tears ran down her cheeks. His comments cut her to the quick--something that had never mattered before.

_Your shallowness repulses me..._

She went straight up to her room and flung herself onto her bed as a child does. The tears ran their course after a little while. As she slowly recovered, she realized, miserably, that she'd deserved it. She'd been thinking of him as a prize to be won when she couldn't have been more wrong.

Everyone was quiet when Carlisle entered the house. They didn't dare ask where he'd been or why he seemed so angry.

"Anything I can help with?" Jasper asked.

"Please," Carlisle muttered.

He felt his fury towards Dawn dissipate instantly, replaced with more neutral and positive ones.

"Thanks."

He went into his office and closed the door.

"They've met," Alice and Edward said in unison.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Wow, TWO reviews….geez, this breaks my heart. But I want to thank my two reviewers…it's because of you guys that I'm still writing. I hope you make comments on this chapter. I would like to get my review count up to 5 before continuing. I would ask for 10, but I think my story is getting lost in the shuffle.

Carlisle: *slams the door shut as the fangirls scream outside* "Isn't this supposed to be Edward's job?"

Me: (snickers) "Well, you do realize that women have a thing for doctors AND vampires…when you put them both together, the result is a character begging a story to be written for them.

Carlisle: "They can't get in here, can they?"

Me: (continues pecking at the computer) "Not in theory. It is my story, after all."

Carlisle: (lounges on narrow twin bed) "I'm not getting to leave anytime soon, am I?"

Me: (grins) "No."

Chapter 4

The night was cold and rainy, just as they'd expected. It had been almost three weeks since Carlisle and Dawn had met and they were equally upset with each other. Neither made a move towards the other. Carlisle knew, deep down, that it was only a matter of time. On one hand, her scent was so faint that he could easily ignore it, but her presence chased his thoughts around. He felt strange about having fought with her. In addition to just craving her blood, he also craved her presence around him. He couldn't stay angry when he remembered the day at the mall. Despite his raging thirst, she had made the clouds over his soul lift. Knowing that they were angry with each other gave him an aching, empty feeling. Now he understood why Edward had such a hard time staying away from Bella.

But he didn't want to be controlled by her! He didn't want to crawl towards her like an alcoholic begging for whiskey. Carlisle sighed and closed the book he was reading with a snap. There was nothing he could do to get his mind off of her. He'd already gone for three runs, gotten ahead on most of the paperwork, and cleaned the entire house (much to Bella and Alice's surprise). Still, nothing worked. He'd paced restlessly around the library, unsure of what to do.

He'd seen clearly that he'd hurt her feelings, but she deserved it. Who did she think she was? He didn't mind confidence, but he despised arrogance. Arrogance was always a trait that led to one's undoing. Something told Carlisle that she was clearly used to getting her way.

But something in him tugged at his frozen heart. He looked down at his own chest, wondering what his own heart looked like right then.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Golden eyes stared back at him. Had it really been three-hundred something years ago that his eyes were a charming icy blue? So much had changed...he was far from the same man that had chased his father's imaginary demons in medieval England. His face looked youthful and ancient at the same time. Having lost Esme made him seem so much older.

The lightning flashed and thunder rocked the house. The electricity flickered and went out, leaving only the soft glow from the fireplace.

"CARLISLE!" Someone yelled up the stairs. He hurried to the top of them, slightly annoyed that his alone time was interrupted.

"Jake found somebody in the woods," Edward said in a grave tone, "she's badly hurt."

He didn't have to ask to know who the 'she' was. Carlisle cursed under his breath and slid down the banister.

He didn't have to go very far. Jacob was still standing in the living room, dripping wet and butt-naked. Bella had sent Renesmee into the other room to keep her from seeing him. In his strong, muscled arms, he held an unconscious woman.

"Bring her in here," he sighed wearily. Even though it was very rare that they had visitors, Carlisle had a special room set aside for medical purposes. He usually reserved this room for Renesmee or the werewolves. Jacob lay an unconscious Dawn on the table. She was bleeding from a gash in her forehead. The blood flowed red this time, and he wondered if her blood changed colors as she transformed. Maybe it helped her fit in better. He noticed several splinters of wood in the gash, which he removed quickly.

She had two broken ribs, which he taped up, a broken wrist, which he put a brace on, and a dislocated shoulder (same arm as the wrist) that he had to pop back into place. After he was sure that there were no more injuries to attend to, he stood over the table, silent. His nose flared. She didn't smell...right. There was a bitterness to her usual beautiful scent.

When he figured out what it was, his forehead creased in disgust. She was intoxicated. There was enough alcohol in her system that it would have made her do something really stupid. The sour smell of vomit also faintly marred the air. He just hoped she wouldn't need to do it again.

"We found her beside a fallen tree," Jacob said, "we think lightning might have struck it and it fell on her later when she walked underneath it.

That would explain the gash full of splinters.

"How bad is it?" Bella asked.

"She won't be happy when she wakes up," Carlisle joked half-heartedly, "but she'll live."

Deciding to make life a little easier for her, he gave her an injection of morphine, hoping that it wouldn't hurt her.

He stayed there with her for a long time. Watching her sleep, he crossed his arms over his chest.

_Stupid. So stupid. Why did you go out into the woods DURING A STORM of all things WHILE DRUNK?! Have you no common sense whatsoever?! I wish that anyone but you had been my singer. You have made my life a living Hell. I don't know WHY I give a damn whether you live or die. _

"That was harsh."

Edward stood in the doorway. Carlisle's head had not moved from its rest in their hands. He said nothing.

"She's really made you angry, hasn't she?" Edward asked, although he knew the answer.

"I can't stand her," came the terse reply, "how can _la tua cantante_ be such a trial? Was Bella anything like this?"

Edward laughed.

"Sure she was. I couldn't read her thoughts at all, which complicated matters. She always seemed to be in the way or in some sort of trouble. I felt like she was always in danger. But as far as agreeability, she was much easier to be around, I imagine."

The thunder banged violently outside, rattling the windows. Rain continued to beat at them in a relentless pace.

"If only she was a human," Carlisle sighed.

Edward stared at the being laying on the hospital bed.

"She's the most unusual mind I've ever read," Edward said, suddenly fascinated, "she's human, but she's not. She's a half-breed. Real Sirens are silver. She's lived as both and feels like she never belongs. She eats human food, but she feeds off of the energy of others. She really was just trying to help you earlier. She feels a lot of remorse for the way she spoke to you; it even permeates the dream she's having right now. She thinks she _loves _you though she realizes she barely knows you. She can shape-shift into different forms and she's..."

Edward made a face.

"She's spied on us numerous times. She realizes that I can't read her mind when she's in an animal form. She knows vaguely who Esme is and she feels guilty because she knows that you're not quite over her yet. She's never been in love at all...she has no clue how to handle it. She's always seen men as a food source and not an equal partner."

Carlisle's anger subsided a little bit. He couldn't judge her harshly due to inexperience.

"She's still unconscious isn't she?"

"She's asleep enough that she won't wake for a while."

Edward left him with his thoughts.

Carlisle had a couple of ideas and curiosities. It gave him something to think about besides his irritation. Within a couple of hours, he had drawn some of her blood and taken one of her feathers and hair.

"Hmm..." he mumbled, examining something under a microscope. He scribbled something down in a notebook.

She had twenty-seven pairs of chromosomes and two hearts. He supposed that when she flew, they helped keep her cells better oxygenated. She had huge lungs in addition to two hearts. The bones in her legs and feet were stronger and had more cartilage to withstand harder landings. The feathers were waterproof, meaning she could fly immediately after getting wet. When the next morning dawned, wet, cold, and gray, he had gathered a lot of information on his singer. He closed the book and put it in a drawer when she started to stir. At some point during the night, he had gently placed a pillow under her head and covered her up. She stirred, then moaned painfully, shielding her eyes from the light.

"Ohh...what a night..." she groaned. She stopped in surprised when the brace on her wrist brushed her face. She looked at it in surprise. Then, feeling her taped ribs, she pulled the collar of her shirt up to examine them.

"What the Hell?" she asked, her voice scratchy and rough.

"My thoughts exactly."

He didn't mean for his voice to sound so hard, but it did. She winced, staring at her covers guiltily.

"I guess I deserve that," she sighed, "and I probably deserve this nasty headache. But I don't remember anything after the beginnings of the storm."

"A friend of mine found you in the woods," Carlisle said crisply, adopting the business-like tone of his profession, "a tree fell on you while you were intoxicated."

The way he said the word _intoxicated_ stung her heart like acid. She blinked back the tears that threatened to form in her dark eyes. They were more from embarrassment than anything. If only she'd let him go yesterday instead of making him angry...

"I suppose you think I'm the biggest fool you ever met," she mumbled, burying her face in one arm, "I certainly think I am."

Carlisle went through the motions of checking her injuries.

"Very immature, yes. I've met others who top my list for fools, though."

It didn't make her feel any better.

"You'll stay here for a couple of days at least," he told her, "you shouldn't take much longer than that to heal. I'd rather you didn't leave this room. There's a bathroom through that door. You can wear the gown on the counter."

Dawn hadn't realized that she was only in her bra and underwear. She flushed brightly, wishing she could melt into the floor.

She heard the door close. Then, she allowed the tears of embarrassment to flow to the surface. She couldn't believe the way she'd acted yesterday. She'd been so spoiled, thoughtless, and selfish. She hadn't really equated Carlisle's feelings into the equation at all and now she hated herself for it. Deciding to get cleaned up, she went into the bathroom. Scrubbing away the mud as best as she could, she sighed. She'd always thought she was beautiful, but she was beginning to question it. Now that she turned sideways, she was a little pudgier than was fashionable these days...and her chin seemed too long. Sighing in frustration, she unfolded the gown.

It wasn't a regular hospital gown like she expected. It was a white silk nightgown that slipped easily over her head. Surprisingly, it fit her perfectly. How did that happen? She was larger-framed than any of the Cullen women by several sizes.

She was feeling rather drained by the time she'd managed to get washed and dressed. Staggering back to the bed, she slept for another two hours.

When she woke up, the delicious scent of pancakes was wafting into the room. A knock on the door made her hearts thunder.

"Room service," a female voice called.

Alice entered the room. Dawn's disappointment was hard to hide, but her stomach rumbled in spite of her terrible headache. There was also (thankfully) a cup of coffee on the tray as well. She downed half of it in one drink.

"Thank you," she said, genuinely meaning it.

"You're welcome."

Dawn savored the hotness of the coffee. It burned going down, but it reminded her that this wasn't all a dream.

"Edward and I both know who you are, so I won't bore you with the details," Alice said, pacing around the room, "and I'm sure you know who all of us are."

Dawn nodded. She was too busy eating to speak.

"I knew you were coming."

Dawn swallowed.

"Yeah, I figured you did," she mumbled weakly.

"Carlisle needs some time," Alice said, "you came on rather strong yesterday."

Dawn sighed in frustration.

"Does the whole world know I acted like a complete jack___?" she asked irritably.

"Not the whole world, but close to it. It can be fixed, though."

Dawn sighed. She wished that the pounding in her head would retreat so that she could think better.

"How would I fix something that big?" she mumbled.

"Well, controlling him isn't the way. He needs to know that you care about his feelings."

Dawn watched as the dark-haired vampire left. Tired out simply by eating, she fell asleep. She didn't even wake when Carlisle came in to inject more pain medicine.

He paused to look at her sleeping face. Could he really resent her? He wasn't sure about anything anymore. Frowning, he brushed her cheek with his fingertips. Her face was hot against his touch. She'd been blushing a lot recently. From the expression that Alice had, he suspected that she'd had something to do with it. Alice had looked like the cat that ate the canary. In fact, she and Edward were both looking very smug. It annoyed him that they were keeping him in the dark.

Renesmee's party went off without a hitch. She'd devoured her share of the cake, then she and Jacob had gone off to hunt. They had more fun hanging out with each other than they ever would with the others. Carlisle was relieved to have done something to get his mind off of the injured Siren in the other room.

Alice went back in to check on her. She didn't say anything, but Carlisle saw her go out of the corner of his eye. It was fine with him; the less contact he had with her, the better. He supposed she'd been trying to apologize earlier, but he wasn't quite ready to accept it yet.

Dawn wasn't sitting in the bed when Alice came in. She was sitting on the window seat, staring out at the landscape. She looked like a painting, watching the rain beat against the glass.

"Feeling better?" Alice asked, wanting to draw her out of her obviously depressed mood.

"Yeah, I guess," Dawn sighed, "nothing stings more than my pride. Being in bed all day gave me plenty of time to think. I was pretty obnoxious yesterday. You would think as much as I deal with people's feelings I would have behaved better. Apparently, being twenty-one for centuries doesn't make me any smarter."

Alice was quiet as she said that. The wheels in her head were turning. She seemed truly sorry now. Maybe she wasn't going to be as wrong for Carlisle as they all originally thought. Last night, as she'd slept, the rest of the Cullens had held a meeting. The rest of them now knew what was about to take place, even Renesmee, who was sworn to secrecy. Jacob, Seth, and Leah, who were also considered part of the family, were also let in on it.

"Want a piece of cake? My niece just had a birthday," Alice said, offering her the slice. A faint smile appeared in Dawn's eyes even if it didn't reach her mouth. While she was eating it, Alice joined her on the window seat.

"I think you're being much too hard on yourself. Everyone makes silly mistakes now and then. No one's perfect."

Dawn swallowed and was about to say something, but Alice cut her off.

"Have you ever been in love, Dawn?"

"Truthfully? No," she admitted, licking a smear of frosting from the corner of her mouth, "I've heard about it in songs and stories and I see people kiss or hold hands, but I've never experienced it. Sometimes I think it's make believe. Men that I've fed from have told me thousands of times they loved me, but it's only because I gave them what they wanted."

Alice didn't ask. Instead, she decided to help the rather disheveled-looking Siren.

"It's not so much about what you want," she said, taking the empty cake plate and setting it on the counter, "it's about what he wants. Carlisle and Esme were together for about sixty years."

Dawn nodded.

"That is an awfully long time to know someone."

"He won't give his heart to just anyone," Alice continued, "right now, when he looks at women, he's still comparing them to Esme and it's something he can't help. It's going to take a lot of time, a lot of trust, and a lot of effort. You have to start thinking about what makes him happy."

Dawn nodded.

"If he feels like he's being forced into something, he won't react well," Alice told her, "he's used to being a leader. You've got to show him that you'll be supportive of him."

Dawn was now forming a mental list. She was beginning to understand (at least vaguely).

"But how do I fix the mess I already made?" Dawn asked.

Alice resisted the urge to grin. The Siren was beginning to learn some humility. If she hadn't, she would never have asked for her advice.

"Ask him if the two of you can start over. Carlisle's usually pretty forgiving."

"Okay," Dawn said uncertainly.

Alice left her to think things over. As she passed Edward, they shared a knowing grin.


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: Three reviews. Sigh. Well, I can't complain, as they've all been nice ones. I would like to dedicate this chapter to , WingsRider, and eyeglassed cat because they've been kind enough to take five minutes out of their time to write to me! (hugs) I love you guys!

Carlisle: (smiles gratefully, then leans towards the reviewers) "Thank you so much for writing something. It finally shut her up!"

Me: (gives him a Look). I heard that.

Carlisle: (gives a charming smile)

Me: (pecks furiously at keyboard) At least I know SOMEBODY appreciates this story. (throws a rabid fangirl out the window before she can get to Carlisle). Somebody really ought to fix that lock.

Carlisle: (stares) At least we're only on the first story of the building. (cringes when there is a crashing sound from outside).

Chapter 5

Carlisle didn't ask her what she was doing by the window when he came in a couple of hours later. He tried to smile, but it came out crooked. Dawn didn't look up until he started checking things. She seemed to want to say something, but she was choosing her words carefully this time.

"Could we start over?" she managed to choke out.

He paused, considering for a moment.

"Yes."

Being angry with her consumed too much energy. His baser instincts were screaming at him to gather her up into his arms and just hold her, even if her blood was off-limits. But he didn't.

"My real name is Aurora, but my human name is Dawn," she said, offering her good hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Then, he really did smile.

It was a start. The tension was dispelled, at least partly.

"Where do you live?" he asked, wondering how exactly the castle ruins were habitable.

"I could show you if you want," she said as he checked her stitches, "you've wandered up there a couple of times."

"The castle ruins? They don't look very safe," he commented.

Dawn grinned.

"They only _look_ like ruins," she explained, "I cast an illusion over my castle to keep humans out. They usually don't wander into these places very often, though."

"And you wanted to keep us away as well," Carlisle finished her thought.

"Well, frankly, yes, but I didn't know about our..._current_ situation," Dawn admitted, "I suppose I don't need the illusion now that everyone knows it's an illusion."

He took the brace off of her arm to see how fast it was healing.

"Interesting. Your bones have almost healed. You should be ready to go by tomorrow. I'll take out your stitches before you leave."

He replaced the brace.

"I appreciate you going to all this trouble," she said suddenly, "especially since our first meeting didn't go very well."

His hands were still on her arm when she said it. She was looking at them rather than his face, so she didn't see the warmth that was suddenly present in his expression.

"You're welcome."

His hand squeezed hers very gently before he left.

She smiled, knowing she must have done something right. It hadn't been easy to shelve her pride and admit that she knew nothing about love, but it had worked! She settled into her hospital bed that night, wishing she had a bit more time with the Cullens.

She was shaken awake much earlier than she would have liked by Carlisle.

"I have to go to work today," he told her. She nodded in understanding, still rubbing her eyes. He parted her hair where the gash had been. The skin had sealed together well and only a small scar would be there. He quickly removed the stitches first, then took the tape and the brace off. After seeing that she could move easily with no pain, he told her that she was free to leave.

Then, he was surprised when her arms wrapped around him in a fierce hug.

"Thank you," she muttered, still half-asleep.

A smile graced his features as he looked down at the top of her blonde curls. He rested his cheek against them for just a second. The thirst still steamed in the back of his throat, but she also smelled good in a nonfood way. Her skin was abnormally hot, but it felt so good to finally hold her. His cool hand patted her back gently at first, but then rested there after a moment.

"Carlisle, there's someone on the phone for-" Rosalie skidded to a halt when she saw Dawn and Carlisle embracing. They sprang apart guiltily as if the action had been more than just a simple hug.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, her voice sharper than she'd intended.

"No," Carlisle said quickly, "I'm coming."

He spared an apologetic look before walking out, leaving Rosalie with Dawn. Rosalie kicked the door closed.

"I'm only going to tell you this once, so listen good," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. She and Dawn sized each other up for a moment.

"If you break his heart, I will find a way to kill you. Don't think we all won't!" she snapped before walking out.

Dawn sighed, going into the bathroom to get dressed. Apparently, the whole family was in on the secret. It was discomforting to know that. She had hoped that they could keep it between them.

Sighing, she wished she could remember having a family. She was sure that she'd had one at one point, but she couldn't remember back that far. As far as her memories stretched, she'd been alone. She couldn't be angry about them wanting to protect her.

Deciding it was time to get out, she did. She walked right past the kitchen where the smell of Edward's omelets were cooking, past the living room with the flat-screen TV, and out the door. She passed the three wolves that looked at her expectantly, transformed into her natural form, and flew back to her own home.

She was feeling decidedly weak. It was time to go to work. Normally, she could go a while without feeding, but the emotional roller coasters had quickly drained her. She changed into clean clothes and dialed Gavin Raines, her guitar player, on her small silver cell phone.

"Dawn! Where in God's name have ya been? We've been floundering without you at the mike!" he shouted.

"Calm down, Gavin. I just had a little accident involving a tree. I'm better now."

"Good. Get your blonde behind up here before they start throwing tomatoes at us!"

"I'm glad you care," she said sarcastically, "I'll see you in ten minutes."

"Six!" Gavin demanded before hanging up with a click.

"I love you too," Dawn muttered sarcastically before heading out the door.

Carlisle sighed impatiently as he called his next patient in. Most of the injuries that had come in were relatively trivial and caused by carelessness. A woman carried a three-year old boy into the back from the waiting room. The problem was quite obvious: he had a green crayon sticking out of his nose.

"I'm guessing that this is the problem?" Carlisle asked, trying to hide the irritation on his face. After making sure that the crayon wasn't hitting anything important, he carefully removed it. It hadn't been the first time he'd seen something like this. She could have pulled the crayon out herself. He tossed it into a nearby garbage can.

"Please be more careful," he sighed to the mother before letting her go on her way.

Most days, Carlisle thoroughly enjoyed his profession, but today felt like a major waste of his time and skill.

_Oh, and what would you be doing right about now if you weren't here? Drooling over that little trouble-making Siren?_ His inner voice was sneering at him.

_Shut up,_ Carlisle responded irritably.

"Hey, Cullen! Just the man I wanted to see!"

Great. It was James Anderson, one of the most annoying humans on the planet. Carlisle couldn't stand him, so he usually steered clear of Anderson as much as he could. But there were occasions...

"What?" he snapped with more force than he meant.

"You got a druggie overdose coming in."

"Why don't you deal with it?" Carlisle retorted, "Be their hero for a change."

Anderson snorted with laughter.

"I just went on my break five minutes ago. Have fun!"

He took off.

_Arrogant little fool. _

Carlisle shook his head. Normally, his temper would take a lot before rising, but he felt unusually moody today. Just as he made it into the front room, he had to dodge a cascade of vomit.

_Damn it!_

The blood in his insides boiled unpleasantly. They pumped the druggie's stomach, gave him some stuff to counteract the drugs in his system, and wheeled him into the ICU. Carlisle pitied the nurse in charge of cleaning up after the idiot. Try as he might, he couldn't rid his nose of the smell.

_I need a break..._

As soon as he'd scribbled down some things on the druggie's paperwork, Carlisle managed to get himself out. Stepping outside, he sucked in a deep breath. The fresh air helped clear his senses.

_Maybe I'll just go see what Dawn is doing..._he thought. His better judgment argued, but his heart silenced it.

He could sense the change in energy as he stepped through the double doors. As usual, the music filled the cavernous mall. He sat down on the bench he'd occupied last time he was here. He heard Dawn's stomach rumble, so he knew that it was time for her to eat something. The last song ended and Dawn descended from her platform.

Today, she wore a lavender shirt that was a silky material. A ribbon tied around her waist, giving her shape. Her jeans were navy blue, almost black, and she wore silver ballet flats. He noticed that she'd regained the color in her cheeks. Her lips were red and full as if she'd consumed something hot.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

As if she could read the lingering annoyance in his expression, she immediately squirmed.

"Whatever it was, I didn't do it."

Carlisle laughed.

"No. I had some rather _trying_ cases today."

Dawn smiled. He instantly felt better although he knew she wasn't doing anything to steal his anger away.

"Like what?"

Carlisle made a face.

"I wouldn't want to spoil your appetite," he said as her stomach rumbled again.

"Try me. You drink blood remember?"

"Point taken. But get your food first."

He didn't want to be responsible for her going hungry.

"Go find us a table, then," she said, hurrying off to the food court.

A few minutes later, they sat together. Dawn was devouring French fries like there was no tomorrow.

"The kid was pretending that the crayon was a booger? Oh, my God!" She dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Her laughter was so easy on his ears. It sounded like wind chimes.

"Everyone's wondering why you aren't eating anything," she commented, noticing some odd looks from passersby, "you can, can't you?"

Carlisle shook his head.

"Human food doesn't taste very good to me," he informed her.

She grinned.

"I can fix that."

She held a fry to his lips. Uneasily, he let her slide it into his mouth. For a split second, he almost cringed, but the illusion took over. As he chewed, it began to taste the same way to him as it did to her. It wasn't as good as blood, but it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever had. The second one was better. By the time they made it to the third one, he was eating them willingly.

"How do you do that?" he couldn't help but ask.

She finished off her cheeseburger.

"I trick different parts of the brain," she said, a blush rising to her cheeks, "I make your body believe it's tasting something different than it is."

"Is that how you made me sleep, too?"

Dawn's head snapped down guiltily.

"Yeah," she said, embarrassed, "you never actually fell asleep. I fooled your body. If someone would have interrupted you the first time in your office, you would have snapped out of it easily."

She was getting progressively redder as she spoke.

"That's...interesting."

Desperate to get him off the subject of things she'd done to him, she pointed to a little kid who had fallen. Concentrating, she focused on him. Before his mother could scoop him up, the little kid stopped crying, scrambled to his feet, and ran away, giggling.

"I can block things, too," she said, "but I'm useless with actual healing. I've been trying to learn it all these years and I've never been able to do it."

Carlisle had a few thoughts as to why, but he restrained them.

"Being able to block pain is a very useful ability," he pointed out.

Dawn shrugged.

"Maybe."

A line of teenage girls walked past. All of them had at least ten pounds of makeup on and they seemed very overdressed.

"Ugh. Beauty pageants," Dawn groaned, "bunch of posers. I hate when they come in here. They get so tensed up over stupid things that they clutter up the place with their negative energy. It tastes really bitter, but I can't help but pick up on it."

Carlisle couldn't help but be a little bit confused. How could she walk around demanding what she wanted and be angry at those girls?

"Sometimes I wonder that myself," she said, reading his expression.

Carlisle realized it was time to go back to work.

"I have to go," he said reluctantly, looking at his watch.

"See you later," Dawn said, equally as reluctant.

Carlisle went back to the hospital with conflicting feelings. Dawn was just so...unusual. She didn't make sense to him at all.

Dawn watched him leave, wishing her very nature didn't get in the way of everything.

One of the girls tripped and almost burst into tears. Dawn rolled her eyes and got up from the table. She hoisted the little beauty queen back up onto her ridiculously high heels. While she was doing it, she drained the anxiety and the stress from the girl.

"Thanks," she muttered, not wanting to be seen with Dawn. Dawn had the urge to make her trip again, but Carlisle's face popped into her mind. She just walked away, growling under her breath.

Maybe there was more to it than blood and energy. Maybe these so called "singers" were meant to help each other become better people. He'd been gone all of five minutes and she missed him already.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: FOUR reviewers. Nice. I would like everybody to welcome "music is my muse". I've had two requests thus far: I've been asked for Dawn's past and about what Dawn does for a living, so this chapter is more explanatory than it is anything else. Once I get those out of the way, then there might be more action involved (winks). Anyway...here you go.

(Looks around)

Hmm. Carlisle must be off hunting. Hope he got past the rabid fangirls okay...

Chapter 6

The hunting trip had gone well. The only ones who were still feeding were Rosalie and Renesmee. Everyone else was contented and lounging around against the trees. Carlisle and Edward were sitting in the grass watching the action.

"I want to hear that story that Jacob told you," Carlisle said abruptly.

It hadn't been a sudden thing for Edward. Carlisle had been wondering about it all day and Edward could feel his curiosity slowly burning a hole in his thoughts.

"Okay," Edward said, trying to think of a good way to start it. He was no storyteller compared to Jacob.

"Jacob said that there was a race of 'bird-women', named because they had wings and because they could sing beautifully, actually better than birds. They didn't start out anywhere near this place; they said they came from an island in the middle of the ocean. They stayed there to protect themselves and their young. People have tried over the years to kill them because they thought that these bird-women were dangerous. They sang songs of welcome to the sailors, but the sailors were so overcome by their song that they'd run their ships into the islands. The Sirens would dive into the water to save them and they'd stay on the island. The Sirens would circle around them and sing, feeding off of their life-forces, but they'd accidentally kill the sailors in the process. They never understood why; in fact, it made them all upset. Many of them stopped singing and intentionally starved themselves to death. They started sending their children over to the other parts of the world, hiding them on the ships that survived the island. Then, that's where the Quileute tribe comes in. One of the women found one of these babies. She was so in love with that baby, with her dark eyes and golden skin, that she couldn't condemn it to die. The settlers who brought her over here were happy to be rid of her. All of the children wanted to play with her instead of working, which didn't go over well with the parents."

"That baby was Dawn?" Carlisle couldn't help asking.

Edward grinned.

A mental image formed in Carlisle's mind of a giggling baby Dawn. The image seemed so innocent compared to what she was now.

"So, they raised her over the years. She grew up the same as a normal child would, but she hit twenty-one and didn't age a day. They told her she needed to get married, but she wasn't interested in marriage or children. She worked just as hard as everyone else, but preferred to spend her time singing and playing with the children. She didn't want to waste her time on adults, especially men. She saw them as a food source and nothing more. The adults were willing to overlook it for a short time, but then she accidentally killed one of the tribal chiefs because she got too greedy with the energy-draining. They started to call her an 'evil spirit' and demand that she leave, so she did. She felt bad for what she did for a short time, but not for long. She started wandering the world, just trying to find her place in it. Then," Edward paused for a moment, watching Renesmee take down a deer. He smiled, then returned to the story.

"This is where the Quileute tribe leaves off and the Volturi's account comes in. They've been trying to capture Dawn, or should I say, 'Aurora' for years. They took an interest in her, seeing how easily she could gather a crowd. They wanted her to help them get tourists down there, but she refused, saying she worked only for herself. Aro just laughed it off, saying she was a fool to pass up such a great offer. What he said in a nutshell was 'you get their energy, we get their blood, what more could you ask for?' But that wasn't good enough for Dawn. They've tried killing her every way possible, but she left before they could try starving her to death. Where there was a guard, you see, she could feed off of them. Physical hunger just gives her a bad stomachache. It's the energy that she can't do without. So, she broke out of the Volturi prisons and came over here. Aro said he let her go because he'd grown bored with her. He had a wife already and it was becoming too much of a temptation to keep Dawn around. Besides that, she wasn't as good at keeping hidden as Aro and the others were. She didn't like living underground all the time. It's a Siren thing."

"How did you discover all of this?" Carlisle couldn't help but asking.

"Well, I know she is _la tua cantante _for you, and I got curious. So did Bella. And...well, pretty much everyone, so we've been trying to piece this story together. I'm surprised you didn't ask earlier," Edward admitted.

He looked over at the sun, which was beginning to set.

"Anyway, Dawn broke out even though the Volturi swear up and down that she got to leave of her own free will and lived in America again for a little while. That's where she picked up the accent she has now. Aware that people would get suspicious if she ever became well-known, she didn't accept record deals or anything like that. She became content with smaller jobs like church bands or small-town bands that played public places like parties and malls. She'd been all over the United States and eventually got bored with that, so she moved over here about four years ago. She used a bunch of cosmetics and different clothing styles to make her look younger than she really was, then gradually appeared to get a little older. When she hits twenty-five or twenty-six, she plans on leaving again. That came straight out of Dawn's head, by the way."

Carlisle's expression was thoughtful.

"Aro didn't try to injure her at all?" he asked.

"No. Aro actually liked her. He wanted to keep her around for entertainment purposes. Marcus and Caius had differing opinions, though. They've shot her, stabbed her, beat her, tried to drown her, hang her, you name it, they've done it. She only came out of it with a lot of annoyance. The drowning memory was kind of funny," Edward admitted, a sly smile on his face, "they discovered she could breathe water as well as air. Jane tried to hurt her with her powers, but Dawn just stood there and smiled. She didn't feel a thing. In fact, none of the Volturi's power worked on Dawn. The only way they could get her was if she actually allowed those things into her head, kind of like Bella when she lets me inside of her shield. I can't read Bella's mind until she lets me in. It's the same way with power attacks and Dawn. If Dawn knew how much I'd spied on her, she'd have blocked me, too."

Images flicked through Carlisle's brain like a very fast slideshow. He had a difficult time picturing Dawn with the Quileute tribe or the Volturi, but he supposed it was possible.

"She's always wanted children," Edward said, "but she can't find another like her. She's been impregnated by a lot of human men, but she always miscarries around the third month. She hasn't been around enough vampires to know if their children are more viable or not. Dawn figures there's no point in bothering with relationships if she can't get what she wants. She thinks she's too busy for that, anyway. Or at least she used to think she was too busy..."

Carlisle almost laughed at the pointed expression Edward gave him.

"Jasper has figured out that she's enrolled in the university as an art major. He met her one day after she went tearing across campus and literally ran into him. He got a good look at her while she was picking all the paintbrushes and tubes up."

"How does she pay for it?" Carlisle asked, knowing that college was very expensive here. Singing in a mall couldn't pay her that much, could it?

"Well," Edward said, shaking his head and laughing, "all those _admirers_ she has are more than willing to help out. She doesn't even ask them to do it-- they do it because they're so convinced she's going to marry them someday. Then, she just never does it."

Carlisle couldn't help but laugh with him. Dawn was apparently very good at manipulation. If he wasn't still grieving for Esme, he might have actually fallen for it. But Dawn would never compare to Esme. Dawn was simply too selfish.

"Why did all of you go to so much trouble?" he couldn't help but ask.

Renesmee and Jacob came back from the woods. Now sated, both of them looked sleepy. The sun had almost completely sank below the horizon. The sky was a deep blue fading into a blood red at the horizon.

"We thought you needed to know what you were getting into," Edward said.

Something in his tone implied that there was far more involved than thirst. Realizing he'd nearly given it away, Edward suddenly went quiet.

"There's more involved than thirst, isn't there?" Carlisle asked wearily.

"Afraid so," Alice said, coming over to sit with them, "a lot more."

Carlisle groaned.

"But there's a chance that it won't happen, right? Your visions are always subject to change..."

The knowing look in Alice's eyes shut him up.

"It's been pretty constant," she admitted, "I started seeing it even when Esme was still alive. But I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid it would upset you."

"Did you know that Esme was going to die?"

He sounded ill. His voice was trembling violently as the question hesitantly left his mouth.

"No," Alice assured him, "I didn't. I would have said something, I promise."

The pain in Carlisle's face when he spoke Esme's name was nearly unbearable for all of them. He felt so...resigned. He felt as though God had suddenly ripped away part of his free will and left him with no choice.

"That's not true," Edward said, reading his thoughts, "you still have a choice. If you think that Dawn's not good for you, don't worry about it. She's got plenty of growing up to do and I know you. You wouldn't be happy with her the way she is right now."

Alice leaned over and gave Carlisle a sideways hug. Edward did the same.

"Don't worry about her right now. Just take care of yourself and remember that we're always going to be here."

It made him feel better as his family gathered around him. Night had now settled, cool and dark. A nice peaceful feeling settled over the Cullens and they sat in silence for a little while. Carlisle wasn't sure if it was Jasper's doing or not. He sat behind Alice, who was leaning back against him. He was running her fingers through her hair. Edward and Bella lay side by side in the grass looking at the emerging stars. Seth, Jacob, and Leah were taking a run through the woods, Renesmee on Jacob's back. Rosalie and Emmett were holding hands a few feet away.

_"Nighttime sharpens, _

_heightens each sensation..._

_darkness stirs... _

_and wakes imagination..._

_silently the senses..._

_abandon their defenses..._

_helpless to the music that I write..._

_for I compose the music of the night..."_

"Who's singing?" Bella asked, looking around.

"It's Dawn," Edward answered almost immediately.

Carlisle was about to get very irritated when Edward shook his head.

"She's not trying to do anything right now. She's just singing to be singing."

Carlisle somewhat doubted that. Dawn seemed to have a motive for everything.

_"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor..._

_grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender..._

_turn your face away from the garish light of day..._

_turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light..._

_and listen to the music of the night..."_

Dawn's voice seemed far away, but it was powerful nonetheless. It was as though the very breeze carried her presence. It echoed all around them like the golden chime of bells. The Cullens were silent and still, listening. It was the first time that all of them had heard her.

_Close your eyes and surrender_

_to your darkest dreams_

_purge your thoughts of the life_

_you knew before..._

_close your eyes, let your spirit_

_start to soar......_

_and you'll live as you've never lived_

_before..."_

Before the song was finished, Dawn's voice disappeared and it was suddenly still and quiet.

Too quiet.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about that?" someone asked.

Carlisle suddenly was afraid, but not for himself. Without waiting, he went tearing towards the castle ruins. Dawn's anger be damned, he needed to see that she was okay.

A/N: Oh, I'm so evil! I left you with a cliff-hanger! But I couldn't resist...You guys asked for action, so you're going to get what you wanted. I promise it won't take long :)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Author's Note: Okay, adventure, yes. Don't know if this is exactly what you guys wanted, but I'm giving it a shot. I'm glad I've gotten at least three or four reviewers…just wish there were more. Boy, Carlisle and Dawn sure do have an odd love-hate thing going on, don't they? Well, maybe hate's just too strong of a word. It's hard to imagine our beloved doctor hating anyone…

Carlisle: "Are you going to give them the new chapter anytime soon?"

Me: "Why are you in such a hurry? You don't have to worry about aging."

Carlisle: "I want to be with Esme. I miss her. Surely you can understand that."

Me: (snorts with laughter) "Sure I can! I'm the only college-age girl in the whole world who's NEVER had a boyfriend.

Carlisle: (gives strange look)

Me: Yeah, fine…back to the story. And quit giving me that puppy look with those big gold eyes. You're going to make my heart turn to jello.

Carlisle wasn't sure what he would find as he ascended the hill where the castle ruins were.

_The illusion of castle ruins,_ he reminded himself.

"Carlisle!" Edward was trying to catch up with him.

"Something's wrong," Carlisle told him, "I feel it."

Apparently, he wasn't the only one to feel it. Alice was on his other side in an instant.

"I know where the door is," she said, her voice dark with grim determination. Feeling around what seemed like open air, her fingers brushed against what felt like wood. Fumbling around, she managed to get it open. It seemed weird to all of them, walking into what looked like open air. Once the door closed behind them, however, the illusion suddenly disappeared. It was very dark inside.

"That was weird," Bella commented.

They all jumped quite suddenly when the room was flooded with blue light. A candle on a nearby table had lit itself. The candle was black with a ghostly blue flame that cast eerie shadows everywhere.

"Where is she?" Edward asked.

Carlisle inhaled deeply.

"That way," he said, pointing to the left. A hallway that yawned into the darkness was all they could see. Carlisle picked up the odd candle and carried it with them.

All along the hallway, there were numerous paintings. Carlisle assumed that they were Dawn's work. He halfway wished he had time to stop and examine them. By what little he could see, each one contained progressively more skill than the last one.

"Edward, can you hear her?" Carlisle whispered as they ventured through the cavernous castle.

"She's keeping completely quiet, but she's angry," Edward said, "it appears she had an unexpected guest. Several of them, rather."

"Who are they?"

In his mind, he was thinking _what are they_.

"Vampires. But not just any vampires."

Carlisle didn't need to hear the rest. Apparently, the Volturi were paying Dawn a little visit. The Cullens came to a huge staircase. Luckily, it was a relatively open space. One by one, they sprang to the top of the stairs rather than climbing them. More paintings filled the wall up there; many of these were on larger canvases, however. The smell of acrylics still hung heavily in the air. There were at least a dozen doors up here. They split up, investigating where each door led.

Alice emerged onto a balcony that overlooked the woods below. She found it strange that she could still see the castle when she turned around, but she hadn't been able to see this spot below. At least she didn't seem to be walking on thin air. Deciding that there wasn't much else to this place, she turned around and went back inside.

Edward emerged into what appeared to be a kitchen. The smell of cheese, eggs, mushrooms, and ham told her she'd made an omelet recently. The skillet still lay in the sink, partially buried under soapsuds. The hum of the refrigerator said that she had electricity out here, although he wasn't sure how.

Rosalie and Emmett emerged into what they suspected was Dawn's art room. Splatters of paint littered the stone floor and numerous easels held half-finished paintings. Tube paint, brushes, and other artist paraphernalia littered the small tables and chairs in the room. Two large windows with sweeping sheer white curtains stood open, causing the curtains to billow softly. Dawn wasn't in that room, either.

Jasper emerged into what appeared to be a music room. Beanbag chairs stood on a fuzzy red rug. A beat-up old acoustic guitar lay across one of them and it appeared to be used frequently. There was also an electronic keyboard and a drum set. He could smell human scent here, so perhaps Dawn's band practiced here. Was it possible that they knew what she was?

Bella opened another door. A candle was already burning in this room, but it had a normal orange flame. The room was bare except for what looked like a rocking chair and small table. All over the walls, there were paintings. Holding the candle up so that she could see better, Bella realized that Carlisle was in almost every single one of them. In some of the other paintings, she had included the other Cullens as well. A painting of Jacob and Renesmee playing in the clearing made her smile. She wanted to stay and look at the other pictures, but she knew that it was important that they find Dawn.

Carlisle opened the last door left towards the end of the hallway. He ventured inside carefully.

In one corner, there was a huge bed with gold and red covers. Pillows were piled onto the bed, making it look very soft and inviting. A cup of tea sat on the table beside it, steam still coming from the contents. The bed was next to a huge stained glass window. Carlisle imagined that the sun would come through the window every morning and cast bright colors over everything. A flat-screen TV was mounted on the wall at the foot of the bed. A large comfortable-looking couch lined the other wall. More paintings decorated the otherwise barren stone walls. A fireplace was on the third wall, embers glowing hotly. There was another door a few paces away from the fireplace.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I left for a reason, now get the Hell out of my castle!" Dawn's voice snarled.

"It's been much too long, my dear," a voice purred, "you were always my favorite. I wouldn't dream of leaving you again."

"Again? We were never together, you idiot!"

There was a scuffling sound which Carlisle assumed was a struggle.

"Aro misses you. Marcus misses you. But I especially miss you."

Carlisle opened the door. It was a bathroom, large and ornate just like the rest of the castle. Dawn was pinned against the wall by a burly brunette vampire who had one hand around her throat. It didn't appear to be hurting her; she seemed more annoyed than anything. Luckily, she was in her natural form. A pool of water and her glistening skin suggested that she'd been taking a bath when she'd been interrupted.

"Ah, Carlisle! I didn't know that you and Dawn were neighbors! It's good to see you again!"

Carlisle recognized Dawn's uninvited guest immediately. His name was Victor.

"Let her go, Victor."

Carlisle was dead serious as he said that, but Victor just laughed.

"I would, my friend, but we have some _unfinished business_ to attend to. I'm sure you understand."

Dawn gave Victor a hard smack, which echoed sickeningly through the room.

"The only unfinished business I have with you is not sucking out your soul when I had the chance," Dawn snarled.

Carlisle stared at her in shock. Something told him that she could actually do such a thing.

"If you kill me, Aro will know and he'll come after you," Victor taunted.

"Aro would probably thank me," Dawn retorted.

The other Cullens had found the room by then and crept in unnoticed.

"As it is," Victor said coyly, "you're in a very compromising situation. If Aro finds out about what you've been doing up here in jolly old England, he won't be happy at all."

Dawn's glare was hot enough to fry an egg. Carlisle could see the irritable exchange between them. Clearly, Victor knew about something illicit that Dawn had done and was attempting to blackmail her.

Before Victor had actually formed the thought to jump on Dawn, Dawn was surrounded by all of the Cullens, crouching and growling.

"You're just lucky you're Aro's pet!" Victor snapped at Carlisle, who was at the front. He slid open one of the windows and crouched on the ledged, ready to spring. But before he did, he turned his head and gave Dawn a sickening smile.

"This isn't over," he snapped before leaping out. Dawn walked over to the window and slammed it shut.

"Bastard," she muttered.

"What the Hell is going on?" Rosalie yelled.

Dawn turned and picked up a crimson towel. Carlisle hadn't realized until that precise moment that she was naked. If he would have been human, he would have blushed. None of the others appeared to be paying attention.

"Suffice it to say that I'm not exactly a peace-keeper and I've been in trouble a few times," Dawn said, searching for a robe, "you know, bad decisions and so forth."

"What kind of bad decisions?" Carlisle demanded.

She looked at the faces around her. Most of them seemed curious and slightly annoyed by the interruption of their peaceful night. Rosalie looked the most irritated.

But Carlisle's was the only one she truly noticed. His golden eyes had hardened, trying to see beneath her smooth golden skin. She felt as though he could see past it, past her ribs, her shivering lungs, and pounding hearts. She felt like he could see her less than perfect soul and it hurt.

"Look," she sighed, "I know you guys hate my guts enough as it is. If something happens to me, I don't expect you to save me. In fact, I would rather you didn't."

They were silent.

"If you really want to know, meet me..." she paused to think for a moment, "on the balcony in a minute. I'd like to get dressed."

They left.

Dawn stared at her reflection in the mirror. Mental exhaustion and fear clouded her face. She couldn't believe that the Cullens had actually come to her rescue. She'd done nothing to deserve it. Pulling on some fleece pajama pants and a halter top, she decided it would be safer for Carlisle if she stayed in her original form.

The Cullens had all made themselves comfortable on the balcony. Carlisle, Edward, and the werewolves were talking.

"Take Renesmee home," Edward said, "we'll be there shortly."

"But Dad-" Renesmee started to protest.

"Home," Edward repeated firmly.

Jacob nudged Renesmee gently with his muzzle. She sighed and followed him.

Dawn stepped onto the balcony, her wings drooping. What she was going to tell them made her nauseated, but she'd rather them know the truth. At least then, they could make up their minds. The moonlight highlighted them beautifully, like living sculptures. It gave Dawn an idea for her next art project.

"I know you're all probably not very happy with me," Dawn sighed, sitting on a stone bench nearby, "and it's about to get worse. If you decide that you want nothing to do with me, I understand perfectly. I haven't exactly been a gracious host to all of you. And I've put some of you..."

She glanced apologetically over at Carlisle.

"...into some very compromising positions. For that, I apologize. I've caused a lot of trouble over my lifetime."

She took a deep breath, uneasy by all of the pairs of golden eyes staring at her.

"The reason why Victor is angry with me is because I killed his mate. Victor...well, he swings both ways. His last mate was a male by the name of Riley. Aro knew about it and made fun of him on a regular basis, but he was never actually mean to either of them. They'd been together for at least a hundred years. Well, Aro wanted a little demonstration of my powers. I started singing, as usual, and I tasted the most _delicious_ energy. So, I started draining him. Riley started getting really weak, but I just couldn't stop. Some of the guards tried to drag me out of the room before I actually got his soul, but they weren't fast enough. One minute, he was staring at me with this sweet puppy-dog expression, the next, he'd fallen over on the stone floor. They tried everything they could to wake him, but he was gone. Aro defended me, yelling that it was a mere accident. I was punished, of course, but Victor didn't feel as if that did enough justice. He wanted me dead. Truthfully, Aro, Marcus, and Caius would have been the only ones with the knowledge, but it didn't stop Victor. More for my protection than anything, Aro had me imprisoned. I wanted him to let me go, so I started draining his guards. He wasn't happy with that and Jane started coming down there on a regular basis. Everytime I got out of line, she would make me hurt for three or four straight days. Then, I'd finally had enough. I wanted to leave, but Aro said I was too dangerous to let go."

Something told them all that it wasn't yet the worst part.

"So, on the day I broke out of the prison, I killed a massive amount of guards. With their souls broken down into spiritual energy, I was as strong as at least ten newborns. I actually clawed my way out and escaped. Aro was probably glad to be rid of me. It's rare that anyone survives an attack like that, but the vampires that did were left barren of all emotion. They exist in a zombie-like state. They don't speak or feed or anything. They just lay there until they get so weak that it becomes necessary to destroy them, to put them out of their misery. I didn't know that until much later. I can tell you now that I feel horrible for it."

They all stared at her, open-mouthed. It was hard for any of them to visualize even Dawn doing something so horrible.

"I did it to show them that I would always get what I want in the end. But I was wrong. I have to live with the consequences. Victor couldn't get Aro to tell him how to kill me, but he's getting closer."

Rosalie looked like she was going to say something, but a stern look from Carlisle silenced her.

"I know," Dawn said, her voice hardening, "I deserve whatever's coming to me and I don't need to hear that from you."

"How long ago did that happen?"

Carlisle's gentleness hurt far worse than Rosalie's fury.

"About a hundred years ago," Dawn sighed, "but vampires have impossibly good memories and all the time in the world. I can't say I blame Victor for coming after me again."

The others were beginning to murmur a little bit. While they were distracted, Carlisle came closer.

"Did you intend to kill me?" he asked bluntly.

A tear rolled down Dawn's cheek.

"No," she said, her voice quivering, "I could never do such a thing to you. You're the most beautiful being I've ever met. Even when you think I'm being a pain, you've treated me like everyone else. And you have a family. I can't believe that all of you would come up here to help me when I didn't deserve it and you could have risked your lives."

Carlisle suddenly had the urge to take her into his arms, but he fought against it.

"Everyone makes mistakes," he told her.

Dawn looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I didn't even know I was capable of such a terrible thing until I actually did it. They wanted to use me as a weapon."

She got up, wings dragging the ground.

"Well," she said, recomposing herself quickly, "there you have it. That's what I am. I can't change that I messed things up."

"Let's go," Rosalie said quickly.

Carlisle would have stayed, but the others grabbed his arms and hauled him out of the room. Dawn lay down on her bed facing the wall.

_I just killed every chance I'll ever have of being with him,_ she thought, _but I don't want to put him in any more danger. Especially since he shouldn't be involved in the first place...._

Carlisle turned to look at the castle as the Cullens walked down the path. The castle still appeared as ruins from the outside. Once, he believed that she'd simply put that wrecked state there just to keep people out. But now, they seemed strangely symbolic of the life that she'd led.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A/N: Ooh, here comes the twist everybody wanted! I had a great time writing this chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did!

Carlisle: (shoves back against the door while female screams come from the other side) "Can't you get better security in this building! The door is starting to crack!

Me: (laughs) "Just open it, then. I have an idea."

Carlisle: You have lost your mind!

Me: (gives evil smirk) "get close to the window, though. And be prepared to hang onto the ceiling like a cat. Watch this."

(Opens door. Fangirls rush in only to dive straight out the window.)

Me: (slams window shut) See? It'll take them some time to come around. They'll all be okay, of course, but it'll buy us a couple of hours of quiet."

Carlisle: (shakes head).

"Baby, you'll be fine. Don't worry," Alex reassured his nervous girlfriend.

"But...what if they know? What if I can't convince them?"

Alex wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. Pumpkin was always terribly nervous about these things. Vampire energy was always much stronger than human energy any day. Pumpkin would fit right in. She was a shape-shifter, and right now, she was in her vampire form. Her dark blue-green eyes had turned to gold, the flawless color. With her sweet heart-shaped face, her sugary voice, and small, shapely figure, she had nothing to worry about.

He thought she was much more beautiful in her Siren form, though. He ached to see that golden skin and the beautiful sea-colored eyes again...

Alex himself was a vampire. He had adopted the vegetarian diet recently, but only because Pumpkin had convinced him to do it. His eyes had just turned golden. He vaguely wondered if her feeding from vampires was her own form of "vegetarian". He'd never asked her that, though.

Taking Pumpkin's hand, he knocked crisply on the door. It swung open after a moment. Music was spilling into the hallway from a grand piano that was stashed in there somewhere.

"Who are you?"

Rosalie, ever the hostess, answered the door.

"We're vegetarians, like you," Alex said easily, "we heard your coven was pretty big and got along pretty well."

"I think we've got plenty as it is," Rosalie said, hinting heavily that she didn't want any new members.

"Let them in, love," Emmett said, easing her away from the door.

Pumpkin shyly looked at the floor, her tiny hands clasped close to her body. Alex had his arm protectively around her. He could sense her unease from a mile away.

"....she hasn't been anywhere for the last week; it's the strangest thing..." Carlisle and Edward emerged at the top of the stairs. Carlisle bit off the end of his sentence when he saw Alex and Pumpkin.

"They want to live with us," Rosalie sighed, knowing she'd be defeated if she argued. Emmett gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand.

Carlisle gestured to the "dining room" and gave them a welcoming look. They took the hint and wasted no time in getting there.

"My name is Alex, I'm two-hundred and ten. This is my mate, Pumpkin. She's a little younger than I am."

Alex leaned over and whispered "she's just come out of the newborn stage" in a mock-conspiratorial tone. Pumpkin looked extremely embarrassed, staring at her hands in her lap as she sat.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about," Carlisle said, reading her mortified expression, "we've all gone through it. I see that you're both vegetarians."

Alex laughed.

"Yeah. My precious can't stand murdering innocent people. She's so sweet."

He kissed Pumpkin on the cheek. Pumpkin looked as though she would have blushed if she'd had blood.

"Tell me about yourselves," Carlisle said, taking his 'leader tone', "where did you come from? What do you like to do?"

Alex thought for a moment.

"Both of us have actually been all over the world," he said truthfully, "but I've seen more of it than Pumpkin has. I met her on a cruise ship coming back from Greece."

It was the truth. Edward searched their minds for deception, but he could find none. Alex and Pumpkin were being very careful.

Too careful.

"Didn't you have difficulties with your skin?" Carlisle asked.

Alex grinned.

"Nope. Some colleagues and I came up with a special cream that keeps your skin from shining. It's even waterproof--lasts for about three days. We were right out there with the rest of 'em and they didn't notice a thing."

"What about eating?" Rosalie asked, searching for a way to trap them.

"Uh, well, that was kind of a pain," Alex admitted, "they wondered why so much raw meat went missing. We both spent a few hours in the bathroom afterwards...but I won't bore you with the details. Let's just say I never want to see another fish again."

The others laughed, but Rosalie made a face. She knew that there was something wrong with these two, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Little did she know, her feelings would eventually end up being correct.

"I like chemistry and science. Engineering," he said, throwing a pointed look at Rosalie, "computers. Things that move in predictable patterns. Pumpkin's living proof that opposites attract. She likes to sing and dance and do theatrical stuff."

Pumpkin looked as though she wanted nothing more than for the floor to swallow her up.

"Where's Alice?" Edward suddenly asked.

"Where else would she be?" Emmett asked.

"Shopping," they said in unison.

"Alice will be thrilled," Emmett said sarcastically, "she'll have another Barbie Doll to play with."

Pumpkin smiled, but it was a very nervous smile.

"We'll have to vote on it," Carlisle warned them, "but I don't think you'll have much trouble. Would you like to see the house?"

Quick to make a good impression, Alex was out of his chair in a split second. Carefully pulling Pumpkin's out for her, he behaved like the perfect gentleman.

_If only it were true,_ Pumpkin thought sadly.

Edward, sensing the momentary darkening of her mood, turned his head to look at her. Pumpkin forced herself to remember a day when she and Alex had been the perfect couple: their engagement. For the time being, Edward seemed to buy it, but she could feel his growing suspicion.

"If the others vote you in, you can stay in this room," Carlisle said, gesturing to a door, "it has a lovely view."

Alex let Pumpkin in first, then came in after her. Pumpkin stopped abruptly, staring in disbelief.

It was _beautiful....._

Never had she seen such a breath-taking sight: the gentle English countryside rolled beautifully out below like a green quilt that had just been shaken. The evening was quickly approaching, the sun beginning to break through the weak afternoon clouds. Golden rays flowed into the room, highlighting everyone in their soft light. Their skin all sparkled like diamonds, casting rainbows everywhere. She sighed in contentment, hoping that this coven would let them stay.

"Alice, Bella, and Renesmee are home. It's voting time," Edward said.

"Are you all right, dear? You seem to be upset," Carlisle commented to Pumpkin. She gave him a shy smile.

He was so...handsome...

"Let's go downstairs," Alex suggested, squeezing Pumpkin's hand much harder than was necessary. She cringed a little, but did as she was told.

They did. Alice and Bella were both loaded down with shopping bags, as was Renesmee. Renesmee stopped directly in front of Pumpkin.

"Who are you?" she asked bluntly.

"We're about to get to that," Carlisle told her, "I need everyone in the dining room. Jacob, Leah, Seth, you too."

Within a few seconds, two large males and a female came in. They were the biggest humans that Pumpkin had ever seen. They towered above her, at least twice her height. The closest one to her size was Alice, the one with dark spiky hair. All three of these olive-skinned, dark-haired humans had an odd smell to them, like dogs. Pumpkin noticed that the female seemed to scowl an awful lot. She found herself on the end of that scowl and looked away quickly.

"We have some 'relations' that are interested in staying with us," Carlisle said, taking his place at the head of the table, "their names are Alex and Pumpkin. They are also vegetarians. Alex is a chemist and Pumpkin is a performer. They just arrived shortly before everyone else came home. All in favor of letting them stay at least for now raise your hand."

Jasper shrugged and raised his hand. Alice seemed to be thinking about it more, but she cautiously raised hers. Rosalie scowled and did not raise her hand, but Emmett did. Renesmee also did, but seemed reluctant. Edward did as well. Bella seemed more inviting and her hand went up quickly. Jacob, figuring a couple more wouldn't make a huge difference, raised his hand. Leah, being her usual self, did not. Seth, giving a big smile to Pumpkin because she was cute, eagerly raised his hand.

"Majority says that you stay," Carlisle said, not even needing to count the hands, "as long as the rules are followed. Alice, I believe getting them settled in is your area of expertise."

Alice had a thing for interior decorating as well as fashion. She clapped her hands together eagerly and whisked Pumpkin out of her chair.

"It's been so long since I've met somebody new! Oh, come on! I think I know just the thing!"

Pumpkin cast a questioning look over her shoulder at Alex. He gave a single nod and Pumpkin allowed herself to be led from the room.

"Are you and Alex mates?" Alice wanted to know.

"Yes," Pumpkin said shyly.

"How long have you been together?"

Pumpkin tried to remember what it was he'd said.

"About a hundred years. Not very long," she lied smoothly.

A sick feeling entered her stomach. Pumpkin didn't like to lie, but she knew she would have to in order to survive.

Alice had brought her back to the vacant room. She was chattering away about furniture and decorations and where things would go. Pumpkin barely heard a word that she'd said.

"Oh, I never asked you what your favorite color was," Alice said.

"Purple."

At least that was a question she could answer honestly.

Within a little while, there was a large ornate bed in one corner with purple sheer curtains around it, creating an almost nest-like feel. Gold complimented the sweet shade of lavender nicely. The bed was piled high with pillows to make it more inviting. A loveseat couch was put in front of the fireplace so that they would have a comfortable space by the fire. Sweeping velvet curtains were put up by the windows. Alice promised that there was more to come. Pumpkin was getting tired, but she knew she'd have to stay awake until Alex could cover for her.

She decided just to stay away from the beautiful bed and lie down on the couch. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.

"Edward," Alice whispered. Carlisle and Alex were talking very in-depth about the cream Alex had invented.

Edward went with Alice outside.

"Something's wrong, Edward. There's something strange about Pumpkin."

"Glad I'm not the only one who feels that," Edward said, "Alex seems kind of controlling."

"It's not just that," Alice said, "she doesn't smell like a vampire. She smells...odd. It almost reminds me of..."

"Dawn," they said at the same time.

"So...why does she look like a vampire?"

"Maybe she's a shape-shifter."

The two of them thought long and hard.

"But why would she want to come here? I wonder if Alex is making her. She seemed awfully quiet."

"Maybe we should ask Dawn," Edward suggested, "something just doesn't seem right here."

They found themselves caught between the two Sirens. Whom to trust? It was a tough decision. At least Dawn hadn't tried to hide what she was, even if she was a selfish, spoiled being.

They ran all the way up to Dawn's castle, found the door again, and entered. Wasting no time, they went straight upstairs to where they knew she would be.

Dawn was outside on the balcony. She was sitting slumped over against the stone wall. Her clothes hung very loose around her body and they could tell it had been a long time since she'd fed on energy AND human food. Some of her feathers had fallen out and were laying on the stone like wilted flower petals.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We came to ask you a question. A few, actually," Alice said.

"Go on."

She didn't look up at them. Her breath was labored as she spoke.

"A pair of vampires came in today, but there's something off about the girl. She seems..."

Edward had ventured closer. Suddenly, Dawn's head snapped up. Hauling herself off of the stone, she circled Edward, sniffing at him. Instantly, she became angry.

"There's another Siren in MY territory!" she growled in a low, dangerous voice.

"That's what we wanted to ask you," Edward said, "she's-"

But Dawn wasn't listening. She stared off into the woods, her wings flaring.

"Dawn! Calm down! We need to know if she's good or not and why she's hiding! Dammit, Dawn, come back!"

Dawn launched herself from the balcony, wings spreading gracefully. The landing was rather rough because she was weak, but she shakily stood up.

"I gotta have something to eat..." Dawn said, shaking very hard, "I can't do a spy mission hungry and with Carlisle around."

A few minutes later, the trio happened across a group of unfortunate male hikers. Despite Dawn's gaunt and haggard appearance, they drew to her like moths to a flame. She sang them a short little tune. Within seconds, they all lay motionless on the ground and the golden sheen had returned to Dawn's skin.

"You didn't..." Edward trailed off.

"No. They'll wake up in a few hours," Dawn assured them, "they're having a nice little dream right now."

She pawed through their backpacks. Pilfering an apple, some granola bars, and a bottled water, she left the poor hikers to dream.

Once they had reached the Cullen house, Dawn was feeling much better. She shape-shifted into a vampire herself. Her eyes turned gold, which was definitely an unusual sight.

"Are you sure you'll be able to control yourself?" Edward asked.

Dawn nodded, her expression implying a slight irritation.

_I'm NOT a child, Edward. And yes, I know you can hear me._

Edward smirked and let her inside.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I wish I had some more traffic going through this story, or at least through the review section....that's all I'm going to say for now. And for those of you who wanted a plot twist, here you go.

Chapter 9

Dawn was still trying to keep from growling, but she did it. Sniffing subtly at the air, she caught Pumpkin's scent. The growl was so low that almost no one could hear it. Dawn's eyes began to darken from bright gold to a darker shade of topaz.

"Still okay?" Edward asked. She nodded.

_I smell her...she smells familiar....wait...Edward, do me a favor. Tap into this girl's mind. Something's not right..._ Dawn thought. He could see her uneasiness. She was still angry, yes, but another thing was beginning to eclipse that. Fear perhaps? No...

They came into the living room. Pumpkin was sitting on the couch beside Alex. Her eyes were suddenly fearful when Dawn entered the room. She clung to Alex's arm like a frightened child. This reaction was not lost on Edward. Edward delved into her mind easily; having seen Dawn had knocked her defenses loose for time being.

_She can't be a vampire, can she? She doesn't smell like one at all! Oh, no! She's a Siren! She's going to kill me! There's no way I could fight her off! I hope she isn't onto me! Oh, no!_

Edward looked at Dawn and gave her the most subtle nod he could. Dawn's eyes had darkened more, making them an amber shade.

_I knew it,_ Dawn thought, _I've had a run in with this one before. She remembers me vaguely, but she hasn't quite recognized me yet. What are her intentions? If she's innocent, nod. If she's going to do something, shake your head like you're saying no._

Edward dug further.

What he saw made him feel strange.

_What is it?_ Dawn asked.

"I'll tell you later," he mouthed.

_What about Alex?_

It took some time getting past Alex's defenses, but Edward managed to snatch a fragment of a thought.

_He and Pumpkin moved in so that Pumpkin could have some people to feed on. He thinks vampire energy is stronger than human energy. _

With a start, Dawn realized that she could hear Edward.

_Edward! We can talk to each other this way! I heard you!_

_How much can you hear?_

He frowned, wondering if this was going to be a problem.

_I can only hear you if you're trying to tell me,_ she said, _I can't hear anything that you're not directing at me._

_Okay, well, it seems to me that they're hiding something,_ Edward told her, _I think the two of us should talk later._

_You got it._

Alex had soon gotten into a conversation with Rosalie and Jasper. Pumpkin had moved closer to Carlisle. Dawn's eyes narrowed at her, but she only moved closer towards him.

"Hello, Dawn," Carlisle said, noticing her, "I didn't know you were coming."

Dawn considered her next move carefully. Deciding to pack the territorial, bitchy side away for a moment, she drew a breath and decided to act civil.

"Edward tells me that there are some new people joining the family," she said, "I just came by to check out what was going on."

Carlisle gave her a probing look. He was no mind-reader like Edward, but he could sense that Dawn was _not _happy about something.

"Yes," Carlisle confirmed, "this is Pumpkin and that's her mate, Alex. They're vegetarian like us."

Dawn forced a smile and looked over at Pumpkin. Pumpkin had inched so close to Carlisle that her shoulder was pressing on Carlisle's arm.

"My name is Dawn," she said, stepping towards Pumpkin. Pumpkin instinctively backed away.

"Don't worry. I don't bite. Unless it's a mountain lion or a grizzly bear," Dawn teased.

_I never knew that Dawn was such an actor,_ Carlisle thought, knowing she was very irritated at Pumpkin's presence.

She slowly, carefully took Dawn's hand. Dawn gripped it harder than was necessary, but they shook nonetheless.

Alex, on the other hand, had no problem with meeting Dawn. Upon noticing her, he got up to talk to her.

"My Pumpkin sings beautifully," Alex said, "she could call the angels down from Heaven with her voice."

"Really?" Dawn asked, pretending to be fascinated, "Let's have a song, then."

Carlisle looked from Dawn to Pumpkin. What was Dawn trying to do? He could see the seething anger underneath the cool, calm mask that she was now wearing.

Pumpkin looked down at the floor with her puppy-eyes. Carlisle noticed that Dawn's eyes were rapidly turning dark. They were now a cinnamon color. Pumpkin's eyes were starting to darken as well. He had never seen anything like this!

"Come on, baby. I'm sure they all want to hear you," Alex coaxed.

"I can play for you," Edward offered.

They made their way towards the piano to choose a song.

"May I talk to you for a minute?" Carlisle asked.

Puzzled, Dawn went with him into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Dawn sighed.

"Sirens are territorial creatures. I just wanted to see if she'd be trouble, that's all."

It was Carlisle's turn to be puzzled.

"She's a Siren? How can you tell?" he asked.

"Her scent, mostly. Every creature has a different smell. Humans smell salty to me because they release it when they perspire. Werewolves, or at least the ones we have, smell like dog fur, and vampires have a really sugary sweet smell. But Sirens have more fruity smells mixed with rain. You know that smell you get when there's a rainstorm coming and the wind blows the smell in ahead of the storm? That's how you tell. I don't trust either one of them."

"Why?" Carlisle demanded.

The guilt came onto Dawn's features.

"Because...well..."

She was trying to choose her words carefully.

"We know each other, but we're not on friendly terms at all," she said, "the Volturi were tracking her and they found me instead. The little brat framed me for a lot of things. She's on their most-wanted list. I think Aro would have let it slide had she not injured Aro's wife."

Carlisle glanced through the crack in the door at Pumpkin. Was she really capable of such a thing?

"I'll explain it later," Dawn told him, "but she's getting suspicious. She recognizes my scent, but she hasn't made the connection yet. Sirens are always kind of mistrustful anyway. But watch out...if she can get your energy, she will."

The look on Carlisle's face made Dawn mentally flush. If she hadn't been in her vampire form, she would have.

"I know, I know," she sighed, "what difference does it make when I did the same thing? It matters because I'm trying to protect you in my own selfish way."

Before he could respond, she left. Trying to make sense of the situation, Carlisle was just a few steps behind her.

Edward and Pumpkin had finally decided on something and Edward was playing the beginning of the song.

_"You were once my one companion..._

_you were all that mattered...._

_you were once my friend and father..._

_then my world was shattered..."_

Pumpkin was singing so softly that they could all scarcely hear her and staring at the floor.

_"Wishing you were somehow here again..._

_wishing you were somehow near..._

_sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed..._

_somehow you would appear..._

Just as she was beautiful on the outside, Pumpkin also had a beautiful singing voice. Her sugary sweet soprano made a dark cloud of jealousy rise up in Dawn's soul. Gradually, Pumpkin managed to sing louder when Alex gave her an encouraging smile. The others were all looking at Pumpkin with genuine interest.

Carlisle was standing right beside Dawn. Dawn turned to look at him, but his gaze was fixed on Pumpkin. It didn't help Dawn's mood in the slightest. She was getting more irritated by the second.

_"Wishing I could hear your voice again..._

_knowing that I never would..._

_dreaming of you_

_won't help me to do_

_al that you dreamed I could..."_

Carlisle's energy glowed around him, the most beautiful shade of gold. Dawn almost lost her temper when she saw that energy being drawn towards Pumpkin. Little by little, the glow around Carlisle shrunk as Pumpkin sang. Her eyes began to lighten from their previous cinnamon color, turning back to gold. No one besides Dawn seemed to notice.

_You little tramp! _Dawn's fists clenched at her sides. What had initially started out as jealousy rapidly evolved into full-blown anger.

The others enjoyed the song and applauded her. Dawn did, but only because she didn't want Carlisle to have another reason to despise her. Knowing that she had reached her threshold, Dawn started to walk away.

Carlisle gave her a questioning look.

"I should probably go...we're going to be working tomorrow and I'm kind of tired."

She slipped quietly out the backdoor.

"What on earth just happened?" Carlisle asked when Dawn had been gone for an hour and Alex and Pumpkin had gone upstairs.

"I felt strange about Pumpkin and Alex being here, so I asked Dawn to help with a little investigation," Edward explained, "something about Pumpkin was just...off. Before I managed to even ask Dawn, she smelled Pumpkin's scent and got very irate. It was all she could do not to attack Pumpkin. She left because her resolve for self-control was slipping."

"But why all the secrecy?" Carlisle asked, wondering why everyone bothered to tiptoe around each other.

"She did it for you," Edward informed him, "the only thing keeping her off of Pumpkin was you being here. There's more to it than just Siren instinct."

"Like what?"

"Dawn says that Pumpkin did something to Aro's wife and then framed her," Edward said, "I also found out that Dawn and I can talk telepathically."

Carlisle was puzzled as to how Aro would have gotten the wrong Siren when he could read minds just by touching someone.

"Apparently, Sirens have the abilities to manipulate memories to a certain extent," Edward said, equally as confused, "Aro swore up and down that he saw Dawn attack his wife in her head. Dawn swore she didn't remember doing it even though the evidence suggested otherwise. Thankfully, the wife was never actually hurt. They locked Dawn up only because they didn't know how to kill her."

_What a mess._

"It's days like these that I really miss Forks," Carlisle sighed, trying to untangle all this new information. In a strange sort of way, he didn't blame Dawn for being upset by Pumpkin's presence.

Back in Forks, things were never THIS complicated. The only major choices he'd ever faced were biting people. But this was...bizarre.

"I promised Dawn I would tell her later," Edward said, "feel like going?"

Carlisle thought that over. He still wasn't thrilled with Dawn. In fact, he still resented her trying to control him at first. He was also irritated at her for bringing so much trouble to his family. Since he'd met Dawn, he'd been plagued by situations that he'd rather have not been involved in.

But the image of her laying in the hospital bed also haunted him. He remembered smelling her blood. The primitive vampire instinct that caused some vampires to bond with _la tua cantante_ overrode whatever negative emotion he was feeling towards her. Maybe it would be in all of their best interests to try and untangle this mystery.

"I'll come."

He wondered, as he walked in silence beside Edward, if he was making a big mistake.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A/N: All right, short chapter, but absolutely necessary. I saw some reviews (FINALLY) and decided it was time to pick up the pace…you know…Anyway, here's what I got. Carlisle just got kidnapped by another fangirl but he had to go with her for a couple of hours. She was writing about him….Ah, he'll be back. Soon, I hope. So, we've established that Dawn don't care much for Pumpkin…she was such a ridiculously sweet character, so I HAD to do something about her…

Dawn was in her original form again. There was a fire in her gut that stung her soul and she was furious. She was pacing angrily back and forth by the fireplace in her room, the flames blotted out by her dark shadow. Carlisle and Edward both felt uneasy as they came into the room.

Dawn's wings puffed, making her seem larger than she really was. Her dark eyes seemed to glow with a strange, primitive light. Claws extended out of where her fingernails should have been and she bared some very sharp canine teeth that shouldn't have been there. A low growl issued from her throat until Carlisle stepped into the light.

He heard her heart beat three or four times before she could regain control of herself. Her posture was still rigid, but she looked much less...animal-like when all the sharp things were hidden away. Edward was only a second behind Carlisle.

"Sometimes I swear you have a death-wish," Dawn muttered. It was as close to apologizing as she was going to get.

"Tell us what's going on," Edward demanded.

"Find out yourself."

Dawn slumped into a nearby chair and closed her eyes. She looked exhausted again. Memories bubbled up into Edward's head and he spoke them aloud to Carlisle. The long story short was that the Volturi thought Dawn attacked Aro's wife instead of Sulpicia. Dawn hadn't told the entire truth the first time...Carlisle reminded himself to be angry at her later for that. Lies by omission were still sometimes dangerous. But they didn't have time for petty arguments now. It was clear that something bigger was going on.

"Pumpkin and Alex are spies," Edward said, "Aro knew that only Pumpkin would be able to recognize another Siren, so he sent her and Alex after Dawn. But so many years passed that they didn't think they'd ever find her. Pumpkin and Alex became mates during this time. And now, here they are back. And apparently, Aro knows the one way to kill a Siren."

"Yeah," Dawn said weakly, "I was afraid of that."

It surprised Carlisle to finally see a true moment of weakness. The belligerence, the arrogance, and the apparent invincibility were all gone. Dawn's shoulders slumped and her head fell into her hands. He could sense that she was truly afraid.

"There's a legendary sword that was said to only exist in myth called the Ravensong. The blade is made from meteor metal and is black with a purple glow to it. It's hard enough to cut through Siren skin and it was once used to chop their hearts out," Edward said, still remembering what he'd learned, "apparently, Jane found the thing by accident one day when she was hunting. Some old sword collector had it and she'd found it in his house while covering her tracks for said hunt."

Dawn had begun to tremble violently. She wrapped her wings around her body, shivering.

"Not that I don't deserve it," she said shakily, "but it looks like my past has finally caught up with me."

Carlisle realized he'd moved forward without even thinking about it. He was now standing beside Dawn's chair.

"What am I going to do? I can't keep running," Dawn lamented, "with all this technology, it's getting harder and harder to hide."

"The one thing saving you is that Pumpkin didn't recognize you yet," Edward reminded her, "just stop acting so...like you. She might eventually go on."

It was then that Dawn dissolved into tears.

"Be serious, Edward! This is no time to kid!"

Despite her obvious misery, Carlisle was surprised to find he had the urge to laugh. In fact, the harder he tried to squash that impulse down, the worse it seemed to get.

"I don't blame you for hating my guts, but have some compassion! My feathers depend on finding a solution!" Dawn snarled between a sobbing wail and an angry explosion.

Carlisle's laughter subsided.

"I'm sorry...it's just the way he said it..."

He took a moment and was completely serious again. Dawn crossed her arms, obviously displeased.

"There are a number of ways that we can get them off of your trail," he said, "and the safest way is to convince them you're a vampire instead of a Siren. I'm sure there are ways we can get past your scent."

"What about my heartbeats?" Dawn asked, "Those are...ahem...rather hard to stop."

"I didn't hear them beat when you transformed," Edward commented, "that wouldn't be much of a problem."

"But what's my alibi? I can't just show up out of nowhere."

"You won't."

Dawn almost jumped out of her skin. Rosalie and Alice had appeared right behind her.

"Doesn't anybody freaking knock anymore?!" Dawn asked irritably.

"Alice had a vision," Rosalie said, ignoring Dawn's death-glare.

"Let's have it," Edward said, "we need all the help we can get."

Alice grinned, looking more like a naughty pixie than ever.

"Dawn can be Carlisle's mate."

Dawn and Carlisle looked at each other and both burst into laughter.

"Hon, let me remind you that he can't stand me even if he thinks I smell good. We can talk, but he still thinks I'm a spoiled brat."

Dawn turned back to Carlisle.

"Isn't that right? You'd sooner take the venom all over again than date me."

The uncharacteristic smirk on Carlisle's face told her everything. It had been a long, long time since Dawn had been at anyone's mercy.

"That's it. I'm freaking dead already. I might as well be," Dawn sighed, talking more to herself than anyone else, "they might as well dig me a grave right next to Esme's. There's no way they're going to help me, no way-"

She was surprised when she bumped into Rosalie during her muttering and pacing.

"Oh, we'll help you, but you have to agree to our terms," Rosalie said.

Dawn's wings drooped. She looked from Carlisle to Edward to Alice to Carlisle to Edward to Rosalie to Carlisle to Alice to Carlisle to Rosalie. Her dark eye seemed too big for her pale face in that moment.

Carlisle actually willed her to shelve her pride for a change. Every fiber in him wanted to believe that she wasn't all bad and that she could be right for a change.

Okay, maybe not about the Volturi hunting her. But about the other things...

"Okay," she sighed heavily, "throw the book at me."

"Carlisle, you're the one doing the acting, so you get to-"

"Not me," Carlisle said firmly, "I can't do it."

"Carlisle, I hate to remind you of this, but you're the only single one in the family right now..." Alice said.

The reminder stabbed him in his still heart. What would Esme have done?

The answer came almost immediately, and of course, it was the hardest one. She would have wanted to help. Of course....

He looked at Dawn, who had dropped to her knees and was now staring at her hands in her lap.

"All right," he said, exasperated. Dawn raised her head and brushed away the tears that had leaked onto her shimmering cheeks.

"Stop draining my energy. I don't care which kind it is," he said firmly. Dawn nodded.

"Since we're protecting you, you can't force us to stay. We will move if we have to," Carlisle said, his voice carrying the firmness of an authority figure, "and that includes you, too. You're going to have to do whatever it takes to pass as a vampire and not give us away. That means you'll have to be careful how and when you feed on energy. If you can see when Pumpkin drains it, she can see yours too. Speaking of Pumpkin..."

Dawn groaned. She knew what he was going to say.

"You're going to have to be friendly to her. If you allow your anger to show through, she's going to figure you out sooner. Besides that, I don't want any unnecessary fighting."

He didn't ask her if she understood because he knew she did. Dawn stared up into his golden eyes. The firelight shone orange-yellow on him, throwing dark shadows in places that the light didn't touch. She could tell that he was dead serious.

It was the first time in her life she'd ever been at the complete mercy of somebody else.

"Don't give us a reason to turn you in," Rosalie warned her, "and don't think we won't if you get out of line."

Dawn's wings had wilted so much that they covered her shoulders and dragged the floor like a cloak. Once powerful and so sure of herself, she knew she was caught. One way or the other...

"All right."

Carlisle couldn't help but enjoy the small sense of victory that he had. There would be no more mysterious sleeping spells, no more terrible dreams, no more constant wondering how much trouble she was going to get him in....

Wait...

_Oh, never mind, _he reminded himself, _at least you got her to listen to you._

Alice and Rosalie shared a knowing grin.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A/N: I'm trying to figure out ways to get this moving a little more quickly. I hope I was successful this time. The lack of reviews is starting to really bum me out.

"So...how are we going to do this?" Dawn asked.

"It's going to have to be gradual. No one's going to believe that Carlisle just met someone and brought her home. You're going to have to spend some time together so that your scents will get on each other. And you're going to have to start acting affectionate towards each other when you're around them. And we'll have to work on Dawn's vampire habits."

It seemed like an impossible list at the moment, but Dawn was determined not to let Victor win. She knew that if Aro had the sword now that she was as good as dead.

"We don't want another run-in with them either," Edward said, reading her uncertain thoughts, "it would be easier if we just avoid them altogether."

Dawn nodded.

"The first thing we have to do is fix your scent. I'm guessing you smell the way you do because you eat human food," Edward said.

The look of disgust on Dawn's face showed that she'd figured out where this was going.

"Oh, no! Not that! Everytime I see blood, I pass out. That is NOT going to work."

"Do you want us to help you or not?" Carlisle pressed.

Dawn sighed, but she looked as though she'd throw up any second.

"I'll try," she muttered.

"Let's go hunt," Edward suggested, "I'm a little thirsty."

They all ventured out of the castle, Dawn dragging reluctantly behind.

"We'll go first so that you can watch," Edward said.

Dawn shuddered. If it was possible for her to look more pale, she certainly did. Edward, Rosalie, and Alice moved around, trying to catch the scent of something. Within seconds, they all rushed forward towards their prey. It seemed as though they'd stumbled upon a wolf pack.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she muttered.

"Remember how you made the French fries taste better? Do that," Carlisle suggested.

Dawn closed her eyes and concentrated. The bitter, coppery smell of blood gradually faded into the background, replaced with the scent of hot chocolate. The animals took on a very sweet smell. Dawn's mouth suddenly watered.

Carlisle took off next. It took him all of ten seconds to catch a wolf. Dawn sighed, knowing she was next.

The other Cullens immediately started to chuckle. Dawn was not nearly as fast as they were...at least not yet. Inexperience was written all over her as she circled the wolf five or six times. It almost got her before she finally brought it down. The bitter taste of venom filled her mouth and that nearly made her sick. Trying not to think about what she was doing, Dawn broke the animal's neck before breaking the skin.

Despite the fact that her own illusion made the blood taste very sweet, Dawn was still sickened that she had to do this.

_It would be so much worse if I had to kill a human,_ Dawn reminded herself, forcing down the blood. Shakily, she stood back up and swallowed hard, willing the blood to stop churning in her stomach so much. It was strangely hot, like magma threatening to force its way back to the surface.

"You're already starting to smell different," Edward said.

True. Dawn's blueberry scent was taking on a sweet undertone, as if the blueberries were now part of a pie.

"Look at you! You're such a mess!"

Everyone started laughing again. During the fight with the wolf, Dawn's clothing had been shredded.

"Urgh," Dawn grunted in frustration, "I better go change."

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

Alice took off.

"I don't think any of her things would fit me," Dawn sighed, "and why does she want to give me clothes? I have my own."

Seeing that her shirt was in shreds, Carlisle took his jacket off and handed it to her. She gratefully accepted it. Had her hearts been beating, she would have felt them flutter.

"Thanks," she muttered.

The moon was shining beautifully overhead. In the silver light, she could see his amused grin and she couldn't help but smile herself. Having to drink blood was so worth that smile....

"I just might have to kidnap this," Dawn said, surprised that it was a near-perfect fit.

Carlisle decided not to comment. Esme had gotten him that jacket. It seemed odd that it had been so big on her but fit Dawn so well.

"How long were you together?" Dawn asked, reading the pain that flickered across his face.

"Sixty years, give or take," he sighed.

"That's a long time to know someone."

"A very long time."

Alice reappeared.

"You're pretending to be the mate of a doctor, so dress like one!"

She thrust a pile of clothing into Dawn's arms.

"Fine," Dawn pouted, "but I'm keeping the jacket."

She went into a clump of trees to change.

"I'm going to see what Emmett's doing. He might be mad that I went hunting without him," Rosalie said.

"I'm going to check on Bella," Edward said.

"I'll go see Jasper."

Within seconds, they were gone. Dawn emerged from the trees, her tattered clothes replaced with designer jeans, a tank top, and red ballet flats. She still wore Carlisle's navy blue jacket over them all.

"Where did everyone go?" Dawn asked.

"Good question."

Dawn came closer.

"I just want to thank all of you. For everything."

"You're welcome. Now, let's go find them."

They raced side by side back to the Cullen house where Dawn would, once again, prove her acting skills.

"Let me get this straight," Alex said in disbelief, "you and him met at the hospital a while back?"

Dawn nodded.

"It had actually been a couple of years ago," Dawn said, spinning the tale like a true master, "I was still human then. I was dying of pancreatic cancer when he found me. We became friends very quickly, but only friends. We didn't get to hang out much, mostly because I was still in high school and he was married to Esme. I went on to college and we went our separate ways while I was in remission, but that didn't last long. Carlisle had just lost Esme when we met again. He didn't like the thought of losing a friend as well as a wife, so I told him to bite me. He wasn't going to do it, but seeing that I wouldn't last another day, gave in. I gave him Hell as a newborn, but he got me squared away into the animal diet after I stopped fighting. It helped that Jasper was there to calm me and Edward was there to read my thoughts as a 'just in case' factor."

Alex studied her carefully, but there was nothing that could give her away. Normally, some of the human gestures and expressions that gave away lying would be perfectly obvious right now. Dawn had none of those dead giveaways. Carlisle was impressed. The look on Edward's face said that he was as well.

"We went our separate ways for a while, then they moved up here. I happened to be in the neighborhood and I recognized their scent. I was sorry to hear that Esme was gone," Dawn said, sounding truly sympathetic, "but where one door closes, another opens."

Pumpkin entered the room. She and Dawn locked gazes. Dawn's golden eyes seemed to make her gaze more piercing, more demanding. It was if she was saying _I dare you to tell the truth._

As usual, Pumpkin latched onto Alex's arm like a clinging vine. Dawn wanted to vomit.

_Two can play at that game, you little weasel._

Something flickered to life in Edward's expression, but it was the only warning Carlisle got. Dawn's arms wrapped around him in an embrace. He nearly jumped out of his skin, seething at himself mentally for the near-reaction.

Dawn's skin initially was cool, but the longer she held him, the warmer she got. Carlisle draped one arm casually around her.

"It's been a tough road," Dawn said, her voice dripping with a sickening-sweet affection, "but I'm here now and I don't plan on going anywhere."

Her slight emphasis on "anywhere" made the word have a sharp edge. Pumpkin frowned. Edward could feel the suspicion welling up in her mind, but she was still unable to figure it out.

"And I'm so glad you aren't."

_Remember, Carlisle, this is just acting,_ he reminded himself.

Dawn was even momentarily surprised when Carlisle kissed her on the forehead, but she hid it well. Having had enough, Alex and Pumpkin slipped into the living room.

_That was close,_ Dawn mouthed. He nodded, indicating he understood.

"Just one question," Alex said, returning to the room, "if you're such close mates, why doesn't Dawn live here?"

It was a legitimate one, but Dawn was prepared for that, too.

"We've been taking it slow," she said, "me being an artist, I'm a little too spontaneous for my own good. Him being the doctor...well, one of us has to be the calm and collected one."

For the time being, Alex seemed to buy it. He went back into the living room. Little did Dawn know, he was just as good of an actor as she was.

"You can let go now," Carlisle whispered.

Dawn released him. She would have been blushing furiously if she'd been a human. During the interrogation, her hold on Carlisle had tightened so much that it was beginning to hurt. There were few things that could make a vampire feel pain, but Carlisle had forgotten that she was just as strong as he was, potentially more.

"Sorry," Dawn muttered as he rubbed his sides.

Edward stifled a laugh.

Despite his inability to read her mind, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that she really wasn't.

In their new room, however, Alex and Pumpkin were having a heated discussion.

"She has to be the one! We've been looking for decades and we've only seen three other Sirens and two of them were male!" Pumpkin told Alex.

"Oh, come on! You're just saying that because you don't want her near your precious doctor!"

He pushed Pumpkin up against the wall and held her jaw roughly in one hand. Pumpkin flinched, wishing she hadn't shared her theory.

"You're jealous," he said in a dangerously husky voice, "you want Cullen all for yourself, don't you?"

In a sick, twisted way, Pumpkin did. She saw how kind he was and she longed for Alex to be that way. Shameful tears came to her eyes, though vampires aren't supposed to cry.

"That's it, isn't it? Say it."

Any normal being would have started to shout, but Alex wasn't normal. Knowing that the others would hear him if he started to shout, his voice stayed in that husky whisper. Alex was always more dangerous when he was quiet. Pumpkin knew that she wouldn't win either way.

"At least he treats me as an equal," she spat venomously.

Being careful not to slam her against anything and make noise, Alex pulled her away from the wall, pinning her arms behind her back.

"Nobody wants you but me," he hissed in her ear, twisting her arm painfully, "you're damn lucky you have me. Who would want a spineless little tramp like you?"

It wasn't the first time she'd heard that.

"Aro did."

That made Alex even angrier. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain when Alex bit her on the shoulder. The venom seeped into her skin, burning painfully.

"You try my patience."

She could smell the venom still in his mouth and it made her sick to her stomach. The bitterness rose in her throat, but Alex clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Oh, no you don't. They'll hear you."

She forced herself to swallow, but it wasn't easy. The half-circle bite mark on her shoulder was burning horribly now.

"I suppose it's my fault," Alex sighed, suddenly switching gears, "I don't spend enough time with you."

His tight grip suddenly loosened, causing Pumpkin to almost lose her balance.

_No...here he goes again....I can't give in, I can't give in...not this time..._

But his hands running down her sides screamed an entirely different message. She shivered involuntarily.

"You miss it, don't you? Those days on the beach...us wearing nothing but our smiles..."

His earlier comment of 'tramp' sprang to mind, but only because she felt like one more now than she had when he'd snapped the word out. Her body was responding eagerly to the slightest brush of his hands or lips. The dark fog of confusion and lust clouded her mind. She felt him easing her back onto the bed and she was powerless to stop it.

_Damn it...why does he always do this to me?_

The tears spilled out over her cheeks as his breath grew ragged in her ear. Mistaking those tears for tears of passion like he had many times before, he kissed them away as he leapt off the edge and dragged her away with him. Afterwards, he tenderly kissed the searing bite mark and apologized like he always did. Pumpkin didn't believe him, of course, but she wanted to.

She began to formulate a plan as they lay silently holding each other. The sooner she could get to the Volturi with the news of Dawn, the sooner she could get the Hell out of here. Maybe she'd find a place where she'd be rid of Alex forever.

But how?

And what would she have, really? She'd be alone again. That thought made her every bit as sick as staying with Alex did. There was only one other option...

Dr. Cullen's smiling face came to her mind, very much the same way as the vision of an angel does. She would have no choice but to turn the Cullens in along with Dawn for hiding her. Maybe she could talk Aro into letting Carlisle live.

Yes....

She drifted into a dreamless sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So, has Pumpkin landed on your most wanted list? I got a few reviews that weren't terribly kind to her, but they all made me laugh. I promised that the story was going to pick up, so here's where the roller coaster has stopped and you see the miles of track before they slingshot you down it. Have fun!

Carlisle: You're not being very nice to Pumpkin.

Me: Yeah, but I created her so I'm allowed to give her Hell. Dawn, Pumpkin, Alex, and Victor are the only ones I can claim in this story. Everybody else belongs to the real author. Stephanie Meyer (spelling?)

Carlisle: You enjoy torturing people, don't you?

Me: Yeah, but at least you'll be there to pick up the pieces as usual.

Chapter 12………….Revelation and Betrayal

It wasn't easy to get out of the house. Alex seemed particularly overbearing after he'd bitten her. Pumpkin was beginning to think she'd never escape. She normally thought Alex was always right, but something inside of her screamed that she knew something he didn't for once.

Carlisle and Alex were doing something in Carlisle's home-made lab one day. Alice, Bella, and Rosalie were out with Renesmee. Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and the wolves were playing vampire-style baseball.

She realized with a strange tingle in her gut that she was actually by herself. It would take roughly three hours to get to Volterra. Taking a deep breath, she hoped that the wind would be with her today and shorten her flight. She'd been in this form for what seemed like an eternity. She felt nauseated remembering all the blood she'd drank for the sake of keeping her cover. It would be nice to actually eat real food again and feel the sweet energy coursing into her veins uninhibited.

Dawn would probably be glad that she was gone. At one point, Dawn's band had heard Pumpkin sing and asked her if she wanted to join. Dawn had been very, very ticked off at that suggestion. She'd heatedly argued that there was no room in the band for Pumpkin and had nearly caused the breakup of the band.

Easing out of the house as cautiously as a rabbit, Pumpkin slipped out of the house and streaked into the woods. She didn't stop moving until she was sure she wasn't being followed. As she passed Dawn's castle, she began to feel sick. It was probably just nerves.

Pumpkin didn't feel safe until she reached the English border. There, she stripped away the yellow zip-up sweatshirt that she'd been wearing, revealing a pastel pink top underneath. It had been Alice's gift to her. Then, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Her skin traded its chalky pallor for the familiar golden shine and her wings unfurled from her back. God, how she'd missed them.

As she flew, the nausea increased steadily. She'd had to stop on the way at least twice and was on her third time. There was absolutely nothing left and it caused the back of her throat and head to ache painfully.

_What's the matter with me? I don't think I've ever felt this horrible in my life,_ Pumpkin thought miserably. After her gut stopped heaving, she staggered a few paces away and sat down on a large rock. She rubbed her forehead, willing the awful sickness to pass.

Carlisle's face came to mind again. If she were still back at the house right now, he'd probably give her something for the sickness...but that was too risky. Vampires didn't throw up.

Either way, she would have had some comforting arms. The thought of what she was about to do nearly made her lose her resolve, but her hatred of Alex and her jealousy of Dawn overrode her affection for the others. As long as they both lived, Dawn and Pumpkin would always be enemies. Dawn's jealousy made sure of that.

Once the sickness had subsided, Pumpkin launched herself into the sky again. She was getting tired, but she would be there in roughly an hour's time. The sun was going down and it seemed to reflect what she felt like on the inside: it was blood-red and exhausted-looking as it set. The sun reminded her of an elderly being, one that knew its death was coming soon.

The vampire guards recognized Pumpkin immediately. She was escorted deep into the bowels of the underground system. Despite her slight nervousness, she felt more relieved than words could say.

"Pomona! I was hoping you would visit soon," Aro's voice called. She turned her head to see the ancient vampire striding towards her.

Aro seemed to age more and more with every visit. He seemed to be petrifying. One day, Pumpkin wouldn't have been surprised to find that he'd frozen up like a statue.

It was odd to hear her true name spoken. No one ever called her Pomona, not even Alex.

"Hello, Aro," Pumpkin said meekly.

"What brings you to my humble home? Have you any news of Aurora yet?"

Pumpkin nodded.

"I found her, sir. But I'm afraid it's rather a predicament."

Aro frowned.

"How so? Is someone we know hiding her?"

The expression on Pumpkin's face told him what he wanted to know. Pumpkin's blue-green eyes began to fill with tears and the nausea she'd been fighting all day reared its ugly head again. Aro seemed angry and troubled at the same time.

"Who is it?"

His voice came out in a hiss. Pumpkin shivered and looked at the floor. Instead of telling him, she offered her hand. Aro seized it with more force than was necessary. She felt him dig into her memories and instantly regretted coming here.

A heavy sigh escaped Aro's lungs. He let Pumpkin go and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I always knew that Carlisle's compassion would someday get him in trouble. You certainly weren't joking about it being a predicament..."

"What are you going to do to her?" Pumpkin asked.

There almost seemed to be a trace of sadness in Aro's eyes.

"She'll be executed, of course. As for the rest of them...hiding a criminal is a serious offense."

"I'm not sure how much they know."

It was the first full truth she'd told. The rest had always been half-truths or lies by omission.

"I'll have them brought here and search their memories," Aro mumbled, "then we'll decide what to do with them. If they all knew..."

He trailed off, getting his point across much more quickly with his silence.

"Not Carlisle," Pumpkin pleaded, "I don't think he knows what she is. She's his mate. She can shape-shift at will just as I can."

Aro knew that there was an ulterior motive and he picked up on it quickly. The pleading in Pumpkin's eyes was very strong. Instead of commenting, he abruptly changed subjects.

"Pomona, dear, is there something else you'd like to tell me?"

She couldn't think of anything. Her puzzled expression made him chuckle.

"I hear four heartbeats and Sirens are only supposed to have two," he said in a sing-song voice.

He caught her right before she hit the stones.

"Pomona, wake up dear."

Pumpkin groaned and rolled over. Opening her big blue-green eyes, she looked up to see Sulpicia standing over her. Her stomach did another flip-flop, but she knew she had no nourishment to reject.

It had been so close...how exactly had she hidden this memory from Aro _again_? Was it because he hadn't been looking for it?

"Sulpicia...I feel so weak..." Pumpkin lamented.

"Of course you do, dear, you're carrying a vampire baby. Don't you know that you're supposed to drink blood?"

Pumpkin grimaced and made a choking sound. The back of her throat was so dry that it hurt.

"I can't," she said truthfully, "it made me sick when I had to do it to pass as a vampire."

"You'll have to or you won't make it. Stay there, Aro wants to speak with you."

She left the room. Pumpkin's shame would have burned on her cheeks if she'd been human. She wondered vaguely why she felt guilty about all this now when it hadn't mattered all those years ago.

"I take it that you didn't know," Aro commented. Pumpkin shook her head. She realized that he was holding a silver goblet. The most appetizing smell was coming out of it.

"This will make you feel better."

He passed her the cup. Without even stopping to wonder what it was, she downed the cup's contents without stopping. The gross feeling in her stomach stopped immediately, replaced by a warm relief. The taste was like nothing she'd ever had before...there was nothing to compare it to.

"You're right," she said in awe, "I feel much better! I think I want more! What was that?"

A smirk lit Aro's pale features.

"I can't tell you," he warned her, "it would upset you."

She decided to take his word for it. Someone else took the cup and went to refill it.

"We have a very interesting dilemma," he said in a business-like tone. Pumpkin shrank back against her pillow. She hadn't realized that she'd been laying in a bed until now.

"Your memories yielded a very interesting thing as you slept," he told her, "so I have a very important question for you. I, of course, know the truth, but I want to hear you say it."

Suddenly, the world came crashing down around her. Pumpkin could see from his grave expression that she knew she was caught.

"Did Aurora truly attack my wife...or was it you?"

Pumpkin closed her eyes, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. What would become of her baby? Of her, for that matter?

"I did it."

Her voice was so tiny in that whisper, but it seemed to explode in the nearly silent room.

"I was afraid of that."

Pumpkin was shaking violently now. There. The terrible truth was out. She waited, eyes closed to see what Aro would do to her.

"I have the sword," he said, barely speaking above a whisper, "I could very easily deal with you right now."

Pumpkin's whimper escaped though she willed it not to. Aro's cold hands pulled her own away from her face.

"It was a terrible thing that you did, Pomona. Why?"

Her answer came out in a choked sob.

"Sirens," Aro muttered, "always jealous."

Pumpkin wrapped her arms tightly around her body that now seemed very vulnerable.

"I heard from one of my guards that the Cullens are on their way right now," he said, "I look forward to getting their side of the story. What would they think of you, the great betrayer?"

He thrust the refilled cup at her and she took it with shaking hands.

"I will let you live only until you have the child. Then you will meet your fate as you should have many years ago."

Before he walked out the door, he paused.

"Oh, and Pomona," he said, his voice getting a hard edge, "take good care of it. I wish to keep it and study it. There are worse things than death, you know."

As soon as Aro left, Pumpkin cried out into her pillow. Shuddering and shaking, she couldn't regain control of herself.

Dawn would probably make her wish she was dead. God knew she deserved it. Not knowing what else to do, Pumpkin lay soaked in her own tears, waiting for her fate to come on golden wings of wrath.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"She did WHAT?!" Dawn exploded.

Alice sighed.

"She went to the Volturi. She's there right now. She's in big trouble, Dawn. Aro finally found out that she's the one who attacked his wife."

The others didn't know what to expect, but they didn't expect Dawn's hysterical laughter.

"She..." Dawn couldn't get out another word. She would have fallen over if Carlisle hadn't caught her.

"She....got...in....trouble....HA! It's about damn time!"

She had her back turned to Carlisle, but she could feel his stern look. Recomposing herself, Dawn sighed and straightened up.

"Look, this is...weird, but you don't have to try and protect me anymore. That little tramp is getting exactly what she deserves and may Aro...."

Dawn cleared her throat, knowing Carlisle would be critical of that statement.

"Look," she sighed, "you guys have your little coven. With us Sirens, it's every man or woman for themselves. With her out of the way, you can get back to your lives and I can get back to mine."

She crossed her arms over her chest when Carlisle's look practically burned through the back of her head.

"Is that what you really want? For things to go back to the way they were?"

His voice was quiet, but it spoke volumes. And so, he pricked Dawn's stone-cold heart in a way that no one else could.

She remembered Pumpkin's soft, childish features and how she always seemed so scared and shy of everything. Whether it was an act or not, it was the way Dawn would always remember her. And though Pumpkin had caused her to live like a refugee for years...she couldn't really bring herself to hate the little runt. She knew that she'd live forever, knowing that she'd be the cause of her big blue-green eyes closing forever.

"Let's go to Italy before I change my mind and regret it," Dawn huffed.

It took them a matter of hours to be ready. Renesmee was forced to stay behind with Jacob, Seth, and Leah. She wasn't at all happy about it, either.

"I'm tired of all of you treating me like I'm a baby!" she yelled, slamming the door to her room.

"She'll be okay in a few minutes," Alice said, "now, come on!"

They managed to get on the nearest plane. Somehow or another, Edward and Carlisle pulled some strings and they flew first class. Occasionally, Alice would give them an update.

"Aro's letting her live for one reason," she said when they were almost there, "she's pregnant with Alex's child."

"Speaking of which...where is he?" Dawn asked.

"He never came back from his hunting trip," Emmett commented, "just didn't say anything to anyone."

"Everybody put this on," Carlisle said, passing out tubes of skin-colored cream, "it's the only way we can be out."

One by one, they went into the bathroom so that they could use the mirror. Dawn was almost regretful to see Carlisle's sparkling skin being covered up. She longed to see him in the sunlight again, being his true self.

"So...what's the plan?" Bella asked while Carlisle was in the bathroom.

"We go see Aro, we get Pumpkin back, then we let her have the baby. After that, I'll kill her myself."

She could tell that Dawn was joking, at least somewhat.

"Anything more specific? What if he tries to stop us?"

Dawn reclined her seat.

"He won't. The sword is only good when a Siren is vulnerable. If he's got one fighting him, he won't be able to swing that sucker fast enough."

She didn't sound as sure as she wished she could.

Carlisle emerged, his sparkling skin now safely camouflaged. As a test, Bella splashed some water on him and rubbed gently. The cream didn't come off, which was good. He joined Dawn, who was staring out the window at the late afternoon sun.

"You know what? I am absolutely furious with her. I want to yank out her lower heart and cut off her wings myself. But I just can't bring myself to truly hate her no matter what she's done," Dawn sighed, "maybe it's those big eyes of hers."

Carlisle couldn't help but smile.

"Or," he said, "maybe it's because you have some compassion in you after all."

"I don't," Dawn said dismissively, "I'm a big coward. I'm good at intimidating people. At least most of the time. If I ever did anything out of sheer stubbornness or creativity, I wouldn't recognize myself. I'm only doing this because I don't think I could live with myself if I let Aro kill her."

"Does she have another name like you?"

"Yes. Her true name is Pomona, Roman goddess of harvest. Just like I was named after the goddess of the sunrise."

Carlisle could actually see pain in her dark eyes. Dawn suddenly looked completely different to him, her face turning gold in the waning sunlight.

"I hate surprises," she confessed, "I'm not sure what's going on and that scares me a bit."

He nodded. He didn't even realize he'd placed his hand on Dawn's until he felt the warmth.

"I'm sorry things worked out the way they did," Dawn sighed, "I shouldn't have dragged you all into this in the first place. I don't want anything to happen to any of you. Hell, you treated me like family when I was a total snob."

She smiled faintly, remembering the shopping trips with Alice, the bookstore visits with Bella and Renesmee, playing baseball with all of them, and racing with the wolves. Edward had taught Dawn a few recipes since he still cooked for Renesmee on occasion. Jasper had lent her some of his books and they'd had several discussions about different things. Rosalie and Bella had taught Dawn to change the oil in her car, for which she was eternally grateful. Renesmee had requested music lessons and she'd come a long way in a short amount of time.

Then, the memories of her and Carlisle started. The past month had been a complete charade, but they'd pulled it off well. Carlisle had even "spent the night" in Dawn's castle. They'd stay up all night talking and Dawn would work on art. She'd even painted him a few more times with his consent. His favorite one was the one where she'd painted Esme in the background, sheer and transparent like a ghost. They had become friends during this time and Dawn was beginning to see the world from Carlisle's point of view.

"It's going to be okay," Carlisle said, although not too convincingly, "we'll get Pumpkin back."

The plane touched down all too soon. They said nothing as they went through the airport and then to a nearby hotel. While Dawn wolfed down a huge room-service dinner, they talked potential strategy. In reality, they really didn't have the upper hand and they knew it.

"Don't worry," Dawn said, wiping her mouth, "I know what to do. They're taking advantage of the fact that Pumpkin's weak. I'll give 'em a piece of my mind. But if I do, you guys can't fight with me. I don't want you getting in any trouble. If you did, I'd never forgive myself. Let's go get this over with."

It was the first time that any of them had been out in broad sunlight. All of them were a little bit nervous because of that, but no one ever paid any attention to them. They ventured closer and closer. The guards seeing them immediately ushered them inside. It looked as though Aro had definitely been expecting them.

"Bold move going out in sunlight," one of the guards commented, "how did you do it without attracting attention?"

"A special cream," Edward answered, holding his arm out into a stream of the waning sunlight so that she could see.

"Impressive."

Aro emerged, dark robes billowing around him.

"Ah, the Cullens. Had a safe trip, I see."

But Dawn was not one for formalities.

"Cut the small-talk, Aro. Where's my cousin?"

The others flinched a little, but Aro regarded the impatient Siren calmly.

"She is safe. I wouldn't think of harming someone in her...delicate condition. It seems I owe you an apology, Aurora."

"Damn straight you do," Dawn said, the attitude lending her a sharp edge in her voice, "now take me to my cousin."

Aro seemed rather dismissive of her giving him orders.

"Take her to the prisoner," he said to one of the guards dismissively, "I will stay here and catch up with my friend Carlisle."

Dawn was led down a dark corridor to a locked door at the end. The guard unlocked the door and let her in.

As far as prisons go, this one was relatively nice. A large, lavish bed had been put in the corner and was piled with pillows. A table that had some half-eaten food on it was there. Dawn picked up the silver goblet and examined it. It was half-full of blood. She shuddered.

Pumpkin lay in the bed, her face buried.

"Hey, you." Dawn stood over the bed.

"DAWN!" Pumpkin pounced on her, hugging her fiercely.

"Yeah, okay, good to see you're still breathing," Dawn grunted, feeling one of her ribs snap. She untangled herself from Pumpkin's grip.

"What happened to you? You look like something the vampire dragged in," Dawn commented, seeing the multiple tear tracks on Pumpkin's face.

"Dawn, you would never forgive me for what I've done..." her eyes burned, but there were no more tears to be had.

Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"Stop your sniffing and get to the point."

She retrieved a cloth napkin from the table and wet it from the glass of water. Then, she started scrubbing Pumpkin's face. Dawn's touch was rough, but Pumpkin didn't complain.

"Alex and I were spies," she said shakily, "I was going to..."

She couldn't go on.

"Out with it," Dawn demanded.

"...to turn you in....and the Cullens....but I was going to ask them to keep Carlisle alive."

She braced herself for the punches she was sure to get, but she was surprised when Dawn only rolled her eyes.

"You know, Pumpkin, I really wanted to believe that you weren't all bad. I wanted to believe that someone like you would have a little decency. I know you hate my guts. I know that the two of us continuously get on each other's nerves. But this is a new low even for you. I had no idea that you could have the gall to betray me a second time."

Pumpkin had begun to cry again.

"I...n-never hated you..." she wailed, "I was....j-jealous of you...."

Dawn laughed.

"Jealous? Jealous of what? You have that cute little face and that cute little figure that everybody freaking LOVES, and you have that cute little voice and everybody liked you better. What the Hell could you have been jealous of?"

Pumpkin took the napkin and blew her nose.

"I was jealous because you were always so strong," she sniffed, "you always got what you wanted because you knew how to fight for it. You never let anybody walk on you. No one ever takes me seriously."

Dawn saw the bite-mark on Pumpkin's shoulder.

"This wasn't about me at all, was it?"

"Only a little," she answered, staring at her covers, "he was hurting me. I needed to get away from him."

Dawn growled.

"That bastard. I knew he was trouble. Geez, Pumpkin, you really know how to pick your situations. Where do you get these guys? First Aro, then Alex. Speaking of which, where is that rat? I'd like to give him a piece of my mind."

Pumpkin sighed.

"He left. He sent me a letter telling me it's over. He's asked Aro if he can have our child when Aro's done with it. I suppose I deserve everything I'm getting."

She suddenly realized something.

"Dawn, why did you come, anyway?"

Dawn rolled her eyes again.

"I came because somehow or another, Carlisle managed to guilt me into it. He actually somehow got me to thinking that you deserve to live even if you did some really crappy things."

"They'll never let me escape," she lamented, "it's over. Maybe this is a blessing for both of us."

Dawn shook her head.

"But who's going to fight with me and make me look like an ugly old tomcat standing next to a sweet little kitten?"

Pumpkin's smile was faint, but it was there nonetheless.

"That's not how you look and you know it," she said accusingly.

"Maybe not," Dawn admitted, "but that's how I feel when I stand next to you."

It was awkward having all that truth out, but at least it was over with.

"You really love Dr. Cullen, don't you," Pumpkin commented.

Dawn snatched an untouched apple from the table.

"I don't know if love was the right word for it," she admitted, "but I do feel a lot for him. He's so...not like me. He cares about everybody. He makes me want to change for the better."

"It sounds like love," Pumpkin accused.

Dawn passed her the silver cup.

"Oh, hush. Drink your blood."

Pumpkin grimaced.

"That's blood?"

"Of course it's blood, you twit! You're carrying a VAMPIRE baby, remember?"

"But...it tastes good. I didn't even have to use an illusion on it."

Dawn laughed.

"Hence come the cravings. I'm sure you'll never want to touch it again after the baby's born."

Pumpkin's features darkened again.

"Dawn, could I ask a favor?"

Dawn sighed.

"I suppose."

"Would...you take the baby? I don't want Alex to have it. He'll hurt it and I won't be here to...well, not that I was ever good at protecting people anyway, but...I just want to know it will be safe. I always wanted a baby."

"Don't talk like that," Dawn snapped, "we'll think of something."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What would it take to get you to let Pumpkin go?" Dawn asked Aro.

"She's lucky I walked in when I did," Aro reminded her, "must I remind you how easily Sirens can hurt vampires?"

Dawn sighed and shook her head.

"I know that," she said flatly, "but Pumpkin was younger then. People make stupid mistakes. I'm sure if you think about, you could name a few yourself."

Any lesser being would have attacked her on the spot, but Aro merely laughed.

"And what 'stupid mistakes' have you made, Aurora?"

"A lot," Dawn admitted, "but I never had a reason to grow up until now."

Aro smirked.

"Let me guess. Carlisle."

"Yes."

Aro thought for a moment.

"What would you be willing to do for Pomona, or Pumpkin as you so affectionately call her now?"

Dawn stared hard into his red eyes, past the sheen of white and tried to figure out what he was thinking.

"I would do anything. I would even take her place if you wanted me to."

"But why? She betrayed you more than once. She made you a fugitive from our laws for centuries."

Dawn shrugged.

"She's going to have a baby. For God's sakes, she at least deserves to see it grow up if she survives the pregnancy! And Alex has been abusing her. I can't let him get that baby. He'll somehow destroy it. She has her shortcomings, yes, but I've come to care about Pumpkin. She's like a little sister to me."

Aro crossed the room in one stride, pressing his hand against Dawn's forehead. She closed her eyes and allowed him into her mind. He saw her initial anger when she realized that Pumpkin and Alex were living with the Cullens. He saw her rage when she would inch closer to Carlisle each time Dawn approached. He saw her initial laughter at knowing Pumpkin was done for, but then the regret and fear. She was no longer afraid for herself, but for Pumpkin. He saw her determination as she held her weeping, frightened cousin and discovered the bite-mark that Alex had left.

"Hmm."

He released his hold on Dawn.

"Can't you forgive her? She's learned from her mistake," Dawn pleaded.

"I have much to consider. I will make my decision when she gives birth."

Dawn nodded and left the room. She did not realize it, but Carlisle had heard the whole thing.

"Dawn?"

She turned.

Her expression was more troubled than he'd ever seen it.

"Hey."

"I heard you and Aro talking."

She didn't answer.

"Maybe I judged you a little too quickly."

Dawn shrugged. She was scared and he could see it. He pulled her into an embrace. She cringed, surprised, but she returned the pressure.

_God, if this is a dream, I never want to wake up...he's so beautiful, so caring...too bad it's not going to last....mmm, he smells so good._

"You've changed a lot lately," he whispered, "you've grown up so much."

Dawn couldn't help but smile.

"Does that mean I get a first date?"

"Don't push it."

He was teasing, she could see it in the way his eyes sparkled. Her scent was driving him crazy. They hadn't been in this close of a proximity since she'd been injured in the woods. Her face buried itself in his shoulder, inhaling deeply.

_Oh, it's so not fair...if I can't have him, why did I meet him?_

It surprised Carlisle that Dawn had gone from the most shallow person he knew to offering her life for Pumpkin's. It was something that....Esme...would have done. That she had done. In that moment, so many emotions flicked through his mind that it made him dizzy. His lips descended on Dawn's before either of them had a chance to think another thought.

Dawn's hearts were both pounding so loud that they seemed to echo in the dimly lit cavern. She melted in his arms, holding onto him for support. Her blood sang loud and sweet in her veins and it drove him wild. Esme's kisses had all been wonderful, but he couldn't ever remember them being THIS intense. Esme's love was like a candle flame, bright, warm, comforting. Dawn's however, was like fireworks: unpredictable, intense, and loud.

They parted and Dawn staggered backward a couple of steps before her back hit the stone wall. She slid down the bricks until she was sitting.

"What are you trying to do, Carlisle, make me have a heart-attack?"

Her scolding tone made him chuckle.

"Relax. I'm a doctor, remember?"

She gave him a Look, but it was a teasing one.

"I'm hungry. Let's go hunt."

The two of them left the city together, but they had to part ways. Dawn went on the search for some wayward hikers while Carlisle went into the woods.

A few wolves and some lost old geezers later, they emerged from the woods looking much better.

"I don't know what we're going to do about Pumpkin," Dawn admitted, "she needs to get energy, but they won't let her out of their sight and she's too miserable to sing."

Carlisle didn't have an answer for that one.

"I can't."

Pumpkin was staring at the floor. Dawn seized the smaller woman and hauled her out of the bed.

"Pumpkin, you're getting out of bed whether you like it or not. You want that baby to be healthy, don't you?"

She yanked Pumpkin's nightgown off of her, leaving Pumpkin shivering in her underwear.

"Here. Put this on. I don't have all day, you know."

She yanked a sky-blue summer dress over Pumpkin's head.

"Well, it's a tad loose, but the baby will make up for that, I'm sure. All right, let's make you pretty. Not that you need the help."

Pumpkin stared at her in shock.

"Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?"

Dawn rolled her eyes.

"I'm high. There, I've said it. Now, come here."

She started brushing Pumpkin's hair.

"High on what?"

Then, Pumpkin caught the second scent and grinned.

"Carlisle! He's here, too!"

"Yeah," Dawn secured Pumpkin's hair with a silver butterfly-shaped clip, "they all came. And I was faking the Carlisle thing before now. He kissed me last night."

Pumpkin's eyes sparkled.

"Congratulations."

The sparkle came and went very quickly. Dawn could tell she was thinking about Alex when her gaze became downcast again.

"Aww, screw Alex. Who needs the bastard anyway? You're in a city full of hot young Italian guys, pulse is optional. Why not enjoy that? You're a Siren, remember?"

Pumpkin laughed.

"I wish I could think like you."

She had transformed to a human form. Dawn dabbed some blush on her pale cheeks.

"It's not that hard, really. Get self-centered, boy crazy, and aggressive and you have me. I think you're done."

A few minutes later, Dawn's band arrived. Carlisle had donated a nice chunk of money to fly them overseas yesterday and some of Aro's cronies had arranged a concert in the city's park in exchange for some tourists. Dawn wasn't crazy about that at all; she and Edward decided to try and catch some criminals to make it less...disturbing. The band was in good spirits.

"Nice to see the two of you getting along," said Courtney, "I was worried you'd keep fighting."

Courtney was the band's keyboard player and she was very perceptive.

"Nah. We came to a mutual agreement," Dawn said, "Pumpkin keeps her paws off the good doctor and she can have whichever other one she wants."

Courtney laughed.

"I can't believe you got us a show in Italy! I can't thank you enough."

"Don't mention it," Dawn said flatly, "really. Now let's get this show on the road!"

Edward waved from the crowd. He'd chosen plain clothes to make himself as nondescript as possible and was keeping track of people for Aro's crowd.

"All right, everybody, are you ready?"

The crowd cheered. The music started in.

(Dawn sang) _Take this pink ribbon off my eyes  
I'm exposed  
And it's no big surprise  
Don't you think I know  
Exactly where I stand  
This world is forcing me  
To hold your hand  
'Cause I'm just a girl, little 'ol me  
Don't let me out of your sight  
I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite  
So don't let me have any rights_

Oh...I've had it up to here!  
(Pumpkin sang)_The moment that I step outside  
So many reasons  
For me to run and hide  
I can't do the little things I hold so dear  
'Cause it's all those little things  
That I fear _

_Cause I'm just a girl I'd rather not be  
'Cause they won't let me drive  
Late at night I'm just a girl,  
Guess I'm some kind of freak  
'Cause they all sit and stare  
With their eyes_

(Both sang) _I'm just a girl,  
Take a good look at me  
Just your typical prototype_

Oh...I've had it up to here!  
Oh...am I making myself clear?  
I'm just a girl  
I'm just a girl in the world...  
That's all that you'll let me be!  
I'm just a girl, living in captivity  
Your rule of thumb  
Makes me worry some  


_I'm just a girl, what's my destiny?  
What I've succumbed to Is making me numb  
I'm just a girl, my apologies  
What I've become is so burdensome  
I'm just a girl, lucky me  
Twiddle-dum there's no comparison_

Oh...I've had it up to!  
Oh...I've had it up to!!  
Oh...I've had it up to here!

Dawn caught sight of Carlisle, Jasper, and Alice. She gave them a smile as the song ended. The crowd was cheering wildly. Color had appeared on Pumpkin's cheeks and she looked much healthier now that they'd had some energy.

The set continued for a little while.

"All right. Here's where that lovely mental manipulation of yours comes in handy," Dawn told Pumpkin, "Edward's going to show you who we're getting. You have to make them follow you."

They slipped behind a truck where they wouldn't be seen. Edward closed his eyes and concentrated on their faces. Pumpkin closed her eyes and concentrated on finding them. Then, they bolted towards the tunnels. They could hear several pairs of feet thumping around after them. Aro was waiting.

"Well?" he asked.

"We got lunch to go, so you guys better be fast," Dawn panted. The vampires lined the tunnels, preparing for the ambush. They had attracted quite a crowd. As soon as she heard the movement, Dawn grabbed Pumpkin and clasped her hands over Pumpkin's ears. The entire world went dark for both of them as Dawn closed off all their senses. They didn't hear the screams or the other sounds. They couldn't smell the blood and they couldn't see the lifeless bodies falling to the floor.

_Is it over yet?_ Pumpkin asked.

_I don't know,_ Dawn admitted.

_I hate this. My thoughts are racing, I have nothing to focus on,_ Pumpkin said, sounding panicky.

Dawn concentrated again and they were standing in the middle of a rainforest.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yes. Since when did you get so good at illusions?" Pumpkin asked.

A tiger wandered over to them and Dawn stroked its head as though it were nothing but a kitten.

"Since I had to hide my castle," Dawn said, "remember those ruins about twenty minutes away from the Cullen house?"

Pumpkin's jaw dropped.

"THAT was where you lived? Why didn't I figure that out?"

"Easy. You weren't looking for it. Now, I'll be right back. I'm going to check and see if the vampires are done eating yet."

Dawn disappeared in a flash of light.

Still holding Pumpkin's limp body, Dawn looked around. The environment was once again calm and overly quiet. Trace amounts of blood and venom could be smelled in the air, but the bodies were gone. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief and popped back into the illusion.

"They're done," she told Pumpkin, "I'm bringing you out now."

Pumpkin stirred in her arms, stretching and yawning as if she'd just woken from a long nap.

"That was strange," she commented, "but I'm glad you did it."

There was a sloshing sound as a bunch of ruby-eyed vampires walked past. The sound nearly made Pumpkin sick, but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

"Good thing vampires can go a few days without eating," Dawn sighed, "I would hate doing that three times a day."

Pumpkin nodded.

The weeks passed quickly. Dawn got Pumpkin out of the caves as much as she possibly could. One of the Volturi guards was always there, though. Dawn just wanted to roll her eyes. She thought about killing whatever guard there was, but she knew it wouldn't solve anything. Aro would just come after them and she didn't want to risk that. She had made a promise and she would stick to it.

Pumpkin would have made a beautiful pregnant woman if she hadn't been afraid all the time. Her belly curved outward in sharp contrast to her small figure and her skin shone radiantly. Instead of taking away from her charm and appeal, it seemed to add to it. The men that came to see Dawn and Pumpkin sing often wondered if Pumpkin had someone who would be father to the child. Fall melted into winter. They didn't want to admit it, but they were all getting more and more worried. Dawn and Carlisle had pressed Aro for his decision a couple of times, but he warned them not to rush him. The day was drawing closer and they knew it. Carlisle had managed to convince them to bring in medical equipment for Pumpkin. Edward began to communicate with the child.

"I can't tell you whether it's a boy or a girl, but I hear it," Edward told her one day, "it knows that you're in danger and it's afraid for you. It loves you and doesn't want anything to happen to you."

Pumpkin's blue-green eyes filled with tears.

"I told it to be careful when it stretches so that it won't hurt you," Edward told her, "and I suppose now would be a good time to think of names."

She placed her hand tenderly on her swollen abdomen. She wanted so much to be happy for the life growing inside of her, but she was still afraid. As soon as the baby was ready to come out, it would be a death sentence. Without a word, she began to cry silent tears. Edward gave her a sympathetic look and Dawn hugged her.

It was in that moment that Dawn felt horribly guilty of all the times she had been jealous of Pumpkin. She felt guilty for all the times she'd considered sabotaging Pumpkin one way or another. She felt the most guilty for laughing when Carlisle had told her that Pumpkin's life was in danger.

At least there would be one way to make up for it, hopefully. If all went well, her last gift to Pumpkin and the unborn child would be her life.

"Don't cry, Pumpkin," Dawn said, her voice thick with emotion, "she'll hear you."

"She?" Pumpkin whimpered.

"Yeah."

"How do you know it's a she?"

"I just know."

"Dawn, are you crying?"

"No."

"Don't cry, Dawn. It's too hard for me to-"

"I SAID I WASN'T CRYING!"

"But-"

"Don't. Just don't. Ugh, I need a drink. I'll be back."

Dawn closed the door behind her before she allowed the tears to flow freely. Through the hot blurriness of the droplets, she didn't see Carlisle and ran right into him. He caught her before she could fall to the stone floor.

He didn't ask what was wrong. Instead, he just held her. She resisted at first, but couldn't for long. She shook and shivered against his strong arms, then collected herself.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

Dawn inhaled deeply.

"The usual. I think Pumpkin's hormones are contagious," Dawn sniffed, causing Carlisle to smile a little.

"How's she doing?"

"She's taking this whole thing pretty hard, but she's tougher than she looks."

"And what about you?"

Dawn didn't know how to answer that one. She stared at the floor.

"I'm scared for Pumpkin. I don't want anything to happen to her."

Carlisle couldn't resist kissing her on the forehead.

"Nothing will," he assured her, "if she has you to protect her."

Dawn smiled and wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt.

"I'm glad you believe that because I don't."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A/N: Long waits suck, I know. I apologize. You name it, it's happened. But, without further delay, here's the new chapter and I hope you guys didn't give up on me.

It was in the middle of the night. The halls were eerily quiet. Wanting to make sure that nothing went wrong with the pregnancy, Pumpkin had been moved to the hospital bed and had all kinds of monitors hooked up to her. Dawn was sleeping in the other bed. For the last few hours, Pumpkin hadn't been feeling well. She felt hot and feverish and there was a dull ache in her back. The ache had gradually intensified. She was starting to feel nauseated from it. She had tried to sleep through it, but it had worsened so much that she couldn't sleep anymore.

"Dawn," she croaked into the darkness. There was no answer. Her stomach twisted, but she swallowed against the bitterness.

"Dawn!" she tried again.

She heard, rather than saw, a stirring from the pile of blankets.

"What?" Dawn snapped. She didn't like to be disturbed while sleeping.

"Dawn, I don't feel good. Something's wrong."

The blankets shifted and Dawn sighed. The room became bathed in an orangey glow as she lit a candle.

"What's the matter?"

"I-"

Pumpkin's stomach heaved again, only much more forcefully. Dawn managed to get the trash can to the bed before she threw up. Dawn gave her a cup of water to rinse her mouth out when she stopped.

"I hurt," Pumpkin gasped.

For once, Dawn didn't say "suck it up". Instead, she tied the garbage bag closed and set it aside.

"I'll get Carlisle."

She found Carlisle sitting on a couch reading a book.

"Carlisle, I need you to check on Pumpkin. She just tossed her cookies."

He closed the book and got up.

Dawn didn't show it, but he knew she was worried. Her hair was still mussed from sleep and one strap of the light blue nightgown she wore was sliding down her shoulder. When she was in the light, he could see the silhouette of her curves underneath. Some unusually heated thoughts entered his brain, but he pushed those aside. Now was neither the place nor the time.

Pumpkin was curled up in a fetal position when they returned to the room. She was moaning into her pillow and a few of the monitors were moving in jumpy waves.

"Go get Edward," Carlisle told her, "we need to make sure that the child doesn't start trying to tear its way out."

It was the wrong thing to say in front of Pumpkin. The heart monitors suddenly sped up rapidly. Dawn moved much more quickly this time, nervous.

Edward and Dawn returned as quickly as they could. Pumpkin was pale and her eyes had a glazed look.

"Dawn?" she asked weakly as Carlisle got the surgical instruments ready. Dawn was at her side at the snap of a finger.

"I'm here," Dawn said, sounding a little choked up.

"If I don't make it, I want you to take my baby."

Instead of reprimanding her for talking that way, Dawn just nodded. Edward told the baby not to bite, that they would be getting it out as quickly as possible. Carlisle uncovered Pumpkin's belly and cleaned it off with some strong-smelling stuff that made Dawn dizzy. He had Pumpkin sit up and injected some stuff into her spine to make her numb. As soon as it kicked in, the surgery started. There was a wet noise as he cut through Pumpkin's skin, then the grating, harsh sound as he cut through the vampire membrane.

"Almost there," he told her, "you'll see your baby in just a minute."

Pumpkin smiled faintly. She watched him cutting into her with a detached air, not showing any fear or disgust. Dawn felt utterly useless, so she just stood there not knowing what to do. Edward handed Carlisle all the instruments he asked for and mopped away Pumpkin's blood.

"Here it comes," Carlisle said, "Dawn, get a towel."

She did and was at his side in an instance. A slippery, shiny blob appeared in his hands. He pulled away the slick membrane to reveal a squalling baby.

"It's a girl," he announced. Happy tears filled Pumpkin's eyes. Carlisle handed her to Dawn and started stitching up Pumpkin's belly.

"Wow...I wish the light was better," Dawn commented, "look at her! She's almost glowing!"

In the dim light, the baby's skin shone softly. It was pearly white with a golden sheen. She stopped crying and looked up at Pumpkin. A little hand squirmed its way out of the towel and rested on Pumpkin's heart.

"She wants to know why you're crying," Edward said, "she doesn't understand. She thought you would be happy to see her."

"I am happy," Pumpkin sniffed.

"As are all of us."

Aro stood in the doorway. Dawn inched closer to Pumpkin instinctively as Carlisle bandaged her up.

"You can't take her," Dawn said defensively, "that baby needs her mother. She already recognizes her."

Aro swept into the room, his dark cloak and robes billowing in a draft.

"Do you really think me that heartless? I've decided to take you up on your offer."

"Dawn, what's he talking about?" Pumpkin asked.

"Never mind," Dawn said through gritted teeth.

"You don't know? Your spoiled, selfish cousin has volunteered to exchange her life for yours. Apparently, she has a noble streak in her."

Pumpkin gasped.

"Dawn, you can't!"

Dawn turned to Pumpkin, but she shot Aro a dark look before she did.

"Look," Dawn sighed, "my mother made me promise I would take care of you. Well, I'm taking care of you. But you have to promise me that you won't leave the Cullens and that you won't do anything stupid, like going back to Alex or being with anybody else that will hurt you or the baby."

"She's not raising my baby."

Alex entered the room, looking more vampire-like than Dawn had ever seen him.

"Yes, she is," Dawn hissed, "if you want her, you have to go through me."

Aro looked from Alex to Pumpkin to Dawn, then at Victor, who also entered the room.

"Huh. Ironic that you'd be the last place I'd ever expect you," Victor said, "I'd love to be the one to slice your heart out."

Carlisle opened his mouth to say something, but Aro raised a hand and cut him off.

"I have an idea that would suit everyone," he said, moving between them, "we have a little show of power. Victor and Alex against Aurora. Aurora loses, Alex gets the child and Victor gets his petty little revenge. Aurora wins, the Cullens take Pomona and the child and everyone escapes with their lives. If the two of you pursue them after it is over, I will be forced to execute you both."

He looked at Dawn first.

"Fine."

Alex and Victor looked at each other, then at Aro.

"Deal."

Aro looked into the baby's eyes. She trembled slightly, but did not look away.

"The duel takes place in three days," he said to all of them, "until then, stay away from each other and do not disturb me with your petty arguments."

He swept out of the room, pushing Alex and Victor out as well. Pumpkin clutched the baby close to her chest and began to cry. Dawn, visibly shaken, sat down in the nearest chair.

"I hate those two," she mumbled.

"So, how about a name?" Edward asked.

She looked down at the baby, whom she could swear had a concerned expression on her face.

"Victoria," she answered, "for victory."

Carlisle immediately set to work on learning about Victoria. He examined her inside and out and charted her growth. She grew almost as quickly as Renesmee did and proved to have amazing mental capacity. She had an affection for music just like her mother and would wave her little hands and smile when there was music playing. She drank Pumpkin's milk as well as blood but disliked baby formula. It also appeared that she would one day have wings grow in. She had a very fast metabolism and needed to be fed constantly. Not wanting to risk her killing someone, Carlisle had managed to bring donated blood to the Volturi's place. Victoria was very careful not to bite anyone. Carlisle discovered that she was also venomous, though her venom was weaker than theirs.

Dawn didn't talk much about the deal she'd cut with Aro. For the first three days of Victoria's life outside the womb, she was very devoted to taking care of Pumpkin and Victoria. Pumpkin was showing signs of depression, which worried everybody.

On the night before the proposed duel, nobody could find Dawn. Carlisle decided to go look for her. Aro was getting ready to send guards out.

"Don't," Carlisle pleaded with him, "I'll bring her back. I think I know where she is."

Aro's eyes narrowed, but he didn't call in any of the guards.

"See that you do. I won't have her breaking our deal."

Carlisle nodded.

"Thank you. I assure you I'll have her back before daybreak."

He moved quickly and quietly. The streets were relatively quiet except for a few drunks and homeless people. They were all too busy either staggering or sleeping to notice him. Sniffing like a bloodhound, he finally caught her scent streaming out of a nearby nightclub. He could smell her in her vampire form; she must have needed the extra protection. Fighting against the clash of his excellent hearing and the horribly loud music, he went in.

The dance floor was packed. It nearly made him claustrophobic to squeeze through the jumping, spinning, swinging bodies. The smell of beer and cigarette ash was heavy on the air, nearly masking Dawn's scent at times. He finally found her where he knew he would: on the stage. He stopped at the front. Dawn gave him a sad smile. He could sense the waves of energy being sucked out of the humans as she fed. As the song ended, many of the people rushed to the bar for a drink and a rest. Dawn slid down off the stage.

"Good timing. That was our last song."

The other members of the band were beginning to pack up.

"Aro thinks you tried to run away," Carlisle warned her.

"I may be shallow sometimes, but I'm not stupid," Dawn muttered.

Deciding against getting defensive, he tried to remember that Dawn wouldn't admit that she was afraid.

"Why don't we go somewhere else? I wanted to talk to you anyway."

Dawn's stomach sank towards the center of the earth, but she followed him outside. The air was cooler, more refreshing. Dawn's bandmates waved to her before taking off in their van. They walked until they reached a nice meadow in the middle of nowhere.

"Just getting a last minute feeding in before...well, you know."

Carlisle wondered just what Dawn was so afraid of. She was more than capable of beating Victor and Alex if she could get the sword away from them.

"I don't want to do it," Dawn admitted, "I'll have to kill them both just to get them to stop bothering us. I'm tired of it. I just want to..." she trailed off. The moon glowed on Carlisle's vampire skin, even though the special cream was there to prevent exposure in the sun. He was so...beautiful. She knew she didn't deserve a compassionate man like him.

Carlisle leaned in to kiss her. He was very gentle, very caring. Dawn's eyes closed and her arms tightened around him. Her normally speeding thoughts crashed to a halt.

Nothing over PG-13 happened, but their make-out session got very intense. Knowing he would take her there if he didn't let her go, Carlisle mumbled a quick apology. Dawn, seeing that his eyes were dark, released him and stretched out in the grass to wait for him. Laying her head on her arm, she fell asleep.

Carlisle took his aggression out on the animals he was hunting. Fast and deadly, it gave him something to occupy his mind for the moment. When he had gotten as full as he would get, he went back to the meadow to wake Dawn. The morning was swiftly approaching.

Side by side, they ran together back towards the Volturi complex and were back inside just as Aro came looking for them.

"Are you ready, Aurora?" he asked. She gave only one nod.

"Very well. All of you come with me."

In a very careful procession through the underground tunnels, they emerged in a large clearing outside the city. The guards began to patrol the borders. Victor and Alex were on the other side of the clearing. Pumpkin was sobbing her heart out on Carlisle's shoulder and her baby was crying every bit as much.

"Don't cry, little Victoria," Dawn whispered, "it's going to be okay."

She kissed the baby on the cheek.

"Pumpkin, if something bad happens, take care of them."

She looked at Edward, Jasper, and Emmett.

"If something happens to me, feel free to play baseball in my castle," she joked. They all nodded.

She came to Carlisle last. He gave her a deep kiss.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear. Dawn's dark eyes welled with tears and she wordlessly told him that she loved him as well.

"Touching," Victor commented.

"Very."

She could see that Alex had forfeited his vegetarian diet. His eyes were a glittering red, exactly what she'd expected.

Victor was holding the dreaded sword. The blade seemed to glow with an almost evil light. The three of them sized each other up for a moment. Dawn stripped away her clothes and transformed into her natural form. The sun came out for a moment and the vampires glittered like diamonds while Dawn glittered like the purest gold.

All at once, it started. It was discovered that both Victor and Alex had gifts that no one knew about. Dawn launched herself into the air, preparing to strike when Victor sent a boulder up towards her. It knocked her out of the sky and she was momentarily stunned. Alex rushed towards her and Victor tossed him the sword. Just before he could strike Dawn with it, Dawn dodged out of the way and sent a ripple of earth towards Alex. It knocked him off of his feet and the sword went flying through the air. Dawn moved to catch the hilt of it, but Victor knocked her aside and snatched it away from her outstretched fingers. Dawn growled. Victor answered her snarl with one of his own. She punched him in the face, sending him skidding across the field. Just as she was about to come after him, Alex sent a jet of ice towards her. The shards broke on contact with her skin, but Dawn seemed merely annoyed. She dove after Alex, sharp teeth bared. The two of them rolled and tumbled as they fought, biting at each other. Victor took this opportunity to recover and rushed towards both of them.

"Dawn! Look out!"

Dawn turned her head just as Victor moved the sword to strike. She kicked the blade away and a trickle of golden blood came from her left foot. It hurt, but she was determined to ignore it. She sent a jet of flames towards both of them, but the flames were easily extinguished.

"Why isn't she killing them?" Carlisle wondered aloud.

"One vampire isn't a problem," Pumpkin explained, "but two are trouble. They're trying to keep her distracted until she tires out."

"Why isn't she draining them?" Carlisle asked.

"She can't. She's too distracted. It takes concentration to do that," Pumpkin told him, "she has to rely on her fighting instincts."

Aro was watching intently, as were the others. They seemed unmoved by this display.

Alex lunged at Dawn from the side just as Victor did from above. Dawn dodged, but it was a very narrow dodge. The two vampires slammed into each other with a thunderous BOOM! Dawn tried again to get the sword, but only managed to get a deep cut in the palm of her hand. She hissed angrily when Victor swiped at her. She launched herself up into the air again, wings flaring angrily. Alex and Victor both jumped towards her, but she was much quicker in the air than either of them. In the sky, she was queen. She flew up really, really high, then zoomed downward towards the earth, teeth bared. Alex looked up and Dawn took advantage of his exposed throat. Within a second, she had snapped her teeth deep into his vampiric skin. The sound was similar to a rock being split. There was maybe a half-inch of sinew still holding his head attached. Victor went to defend him, but Dawn snatched him away. She was going to get rid of Alex first. She bit through the last bit of sinew and Alex's flailing body stopped moving. She had to keep dodging Victor as she tore Alex apart literally. The limbs would re-knit themselves together later. All that mattered was that Dawn had incapacitated him. The Cullens began to cheer her on even more. Aro's face still showed no emotion.

Now that Alex was out of the way, Dawn began to concentrate on Victor. Unfortunately, it worked both for and against her. It worked for her because she wasn't as distracted, but Victor was guarding the sword much more carefully. He swung it at her and she got a bit too close. A deep gash appeared in her shoulder. Victor bit her, trying to get her to let go of the sword, but she wouldn't. The strange blueberry smell of her blood mingled oddly with the bitterness of the venom. Dawn wrenched the sword away from Victor. The blade sang out dangerously as she sliced at him. The vampires weren't dead, but they would take a long time to heal. Despite the sword cutting her hands, she concentrated hard and bent the blade into a swirl-shape so that it could never be used to harm Sirens again.

"There. Can we go home now?" she asked Aro.

"You may leave whenever you are ready."

He didn't smile. It was more like a smirk. She moved towards the Cullens, who were all talking at once, but she and Carlisle only had eyes for each other. They moved away from the battle ground scene, leaving Alex and Victor to put themselves back together.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

A/N: Somebody seems to have borrowed my muse and didn't bring him back! He's been missing for such a long time now! He showed back up this morning with tattered clothes and kiss-prints all over! Grrr. Anyway, sorry about this being such a short chapter, but I promise you it's for a good reason. As you know, finals season is approaching, so I can't promise anything, but I'll do the best I can to squeeze out at least one more chapter before I leave on break (to a place that hasn't got much in the way of Internet--I don't know for sure if it does or not...). Anyway....Carlisle looks in need of a hunt.

Carlisle: (stares at authoress with dark eyes) Say another word....I dare you.

Me: (grins cheesily and opens the window) I'll be here when you get back. Watch out for the rabid fangirls!

(Excited squees fill the air followed by dead silence.)

Me: Don't worry. He didn't kill them. They've just gone unconscious.

Everyone went back to the mansion in England. Dawn, who hadn't slept well in a long time, lay on Carlisle's shoulder the entire time. He smiled and shifted her around so that she'd be more comfortable. Everyone else took turns playing with Victoria.

The mansion had a decidedly calmer, more refreshed air to it as everyone piled back in. It was good to be home. Everyone was busy fussing over Pumpkin and Victoria. They all went upstairs.

Dawn stood alone in the foyer with the suitcases piled high around her. She watched the happy family go up the stairs and she suddenly felt strange and out of place. The portrait of Esme on the wall smiled at her and her stomach turned.

She had no right to invade on this. If she stayed....?

Dawn had never been in a serious relationship before. Now faced with the prospect of FOREVER, she felt small, cold, and scared. As quietly as she could move, she walked out and closed the door with only a slight click.

"It's going to be nice to redecorate for someone new," Alice was saying, "I was thinking...wait a minute! We have to do Dawn's room, too! Unless, of course, the two of you want to share one..."

Carlisle just grinned.

"I'll ask her. Wait...where is she?"

The grin melted.

"She was right behind me just a minute ago," Bella commented, "maybe she's still downstairs."

The Cullens all split up to find the missing Siren. For the first time since the Alex incident, Pumpkin morphed back to her original form. She could smell Dawn's scent easier this way.

"Back to the castle," she said after flying for a few minutes.

"I'll get her," Carlisle told the others, "she seemed a little down earlier. Maybe she just wanted some time alone."

One by one, they all went back inside. Pumpkin flew overhead as Carlisle walked towards the castle. Moving past the illusion, he went inside. Calling her name, he listened for the slightest hint of movement, but he could hear nothing.

The last room he searched was her art room. A painting, still wet, lay on the table. She had probably been working on it for a while, but some gleaming wet spots told him that she'd just added a few small details. Carlisle and Dawn stood side by side, their arms around each other. Behind them was the rest of the family, including Pumpkin and Victoria. Laying near the bottom of the painting was a small folded paper. An ominous feeling settled into his mind as he unfolded it.

_Carlisle,_

_I hope you like this painting. It is yours to keep if you want it. I appreciate all that you've done for me and my cousin: no man has ever been this good to either of us no matter what race he is. Thank you for taking care of my cousin. I'm sure Victoria will grow up very happy and healthy and be capable of great things (as well as you, of course). Tell everyone that I said they're the best and I'll never forget them._

_Now comes the hard part. I'm sorry I had to take off this way without even so much as a goodbye, but I felt like this was the best way. I've been injected with vampire venom and I'm beginning to change. I don't know what exactly will happen. One of the guys bit me when we were fighting, but it took longer to do anything since I'm a Siren. Needless to say, I'm a little scared. I also feel like I'd be intruding if I stayed here. You deserve someone more like Esme instead of selfish, like me. Just remember that you'll be in my hearts no matter what._

_Dawn a.k.a. Aurora._

Stunned, Carlisle let the note flutter to the tiled floor. Outside, the rumbling of thunder signaled a storm.

_How ironic,_ he thought bitterly, _that this was how it all started._

The others did not take the news well. Many of them were angry with Dawn for leaving the leader of their family. Others tried to console him by saying she'd return eventually. Carlisle simply went numb. As with Esme's death, he took on extra work shifts and was determined not to think about it. Of course, every time he tried not to, it got worse. Everything he did had some sort of memory attached to it.

One night, Emmett came upstairs to get him. Carlisle was bent over his books, trying to absorb what was written in them.

"Come downstairs," was all Emmett said. Carlisle waved at him dismissively, but Emmett hauled the other vampire out of the chair and carried him downstairs as if he weighed no more than a sack of flour.

The others had clustered around the TV. Victoria was sleeping in Pumpkin's lap. Pumpkin appeared a little anxious. The others were watching with a variety of expressions.

Dawn was on TV. She stood on a stage with the rest of her band and was playing guitar.

"I dedicate this one to someone special," she said into the microphone, "and you know who you are."

She looked at the camera, but Carlisle could have sworn that she was looking directly at him. Some soft guitar music started it out. He missed most of the lyrics, but the overall tone of her voice had him entranced as usual.

Dawn, however, looked different. The plump curves of her plus-size body had been eaten away, replaced with hard, bony edges. She looked as if she hadn't fed on energy in a long time. She was pale and drawn-looking. Her eyes looked broken.

"If we don't go get her, she's going to die," Alice said.

Everyone's attention shifted to the small pixie-like vampire sitting in Jasper's lap.

"If she doesn't start feeding, the venom will kill her," Alice told them, a troubled look on her face.

"Was that a vision?"

"What do you think?"

Everyone was up and scrambling for suitcases within the next second.

Finding Dawn proved to be much more difficult than they ever imagined. Alice couldn't see where she was and Dawn had been extremely careful not to leave a paper trail. Carlisle prayed like he'd never prayed before that Dawn would be okay until they found her.

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. Shame on me. Short chapter, cliff-hanger, and so forth. But hang in there.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry for the wait. My mother had back surgery, so I had to go take care of her. I know this is really short, but I'll try to do better on the next one.

Chapter 17

The door was locked and she had sanctuary from the outside world, even if it was only temporary. She sank into the hot water and bubbles with a sigh. Dawn's eyes closed as the heat soaked into her aching bones. The venom was slowly working from the inside out. She had no appetite either for energy or food and she had been throwing up quite a bit lately. Everybody thought she had anorexia when she just felt horrible. There was no way she could see a doctor simply due to what she was.

Her band mates were worried about her because they'd finally booked a big concert and she wasn't enjoying any of it. She was exhausted most of the time.

Dawn's mind went back to Carlisle. She felt horrible for leaving him, but she was worried. Her cravings for Carlisle's energy had never stopped and she feared for what she might do to him. She didn't know what she was going to become after she succumbed to the venom. She didn't know if she'd want to kill him or not. Her body often felt like it was on fire. She had never felt so alone in her life. She couldn't tell anyone.

After the water began to cool, she felt a little better and climbed out of the tub with some difficulty. Then, she pulled a rich red silk nightgown over her head that made her blonde hair stand out more. She decided it was time to go to bed. Just taking a breath seemed to take a lot of effort.

She slipped between the sheets of her hotel bed. Twice, the band members knocked on the door, but she ignored them.

_Everybody shut the Hell up and leave me alone...please..._

She slowly went to sleep, then faded into unconsciousness. She wasn't aware of Edward using some of the hotel staff's knowledge to get Dawn's room. She wasn't aware of Alice distracting the manager at the front desk while Emmett snatched the key. She wasn't aware that they were all coming for a rescue. Emmett tossed Carlisle the key so that he could be the one to open the door.

When they came in, they weren't sure what they expected. Dawn's belongings were scattered carelessly around the room. The usual blueberry scent that was hers now had an acid, tainted smell.

Carlisle found her in the bed. He carefully pulled back the covers. What he saw was worse than he could ever imagine.

"Oh, my God," he breathed.

Dawn's breath was so light that it was barely detectable.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Dawn's skin was as pale as death. Her golden sheen had gone. Two fang-marks bruised one shoulder and it seemed as if the venom was slowly eating her alive. Anyone else would have assumed a drug overdose or a snake bite. Carlisle knew differently. She was emaciated and probably didn't have a shred of body fat left on her. Her usually plump figure was gone. She didn't even look like Dawn anymore. Her golden hair was dead and had also lost its sheen.

"Get her suitcases and things," Carlisle told them, "we're taking her home with us."

Everyone ran around the room at lightning speed to get her clothes and art supplies. Within seconds, they were gone. Carlisle left a generous pile of money at the front desk and the manager didn't ask any questions.

The ride home was painfully slow even with Edward's crazy driving. They decided against the plane because it wasn't fast enough. Dawn didn't even stir.

Upon getting home, Carlisle set to work immediately. He let the doctor side of him take over as he examined Dawn and began hooking machines up to her. To his knowledge, there was no antidote for the venom.

Just as the thought to ask Pumpkin entered her mind, she peeked cautiously around the side of the door. Victoria was resting with her head on Pumpkin's shoulder.

"Pumpkin? Alex bit you a couple of times, didn't he? Why didn't you get sick?"

Pumpkin frowned, looking at her cousin's unconscious form.

"He didn't inject very much venom into me," she said, "Alex's goal was never to kill me. I smell him all over her. He intended to kill her."

She leaned over to inspect the wound.

"It looks like her skin was cut by the sword first," she said, "and then Alex bit her. There's probably a venom pocket there."

Carlisle retrieved a syringe and drew some of the fluid from the swollen area. What he found disturbed him.

Dawn did not have red blood, but the fluid inside the syringe was red.

"Oh my..."

Pumpkin's face paled.

"I thought red venom was only in legend..." she said shakily, "I never dreamed it was real."

"Red venom?" he asked, puzzled.

"Legend has it that some vampires, when they're feeling particularly malicious, can make a red venom that has a very toxic dose even to creatures that can't easily be killed by it. Regular vampire venom can only sting a Siren if their teeth even break the skin. That's not regular venom. It's likely that Victor and Alex planned this out a long time ago."

Carlisle's heart sank into the center of the earth.

"Is there any way that we can counteract it?" he asked.

"I don't remember..." Pumpkin sighed, "I would have to do some research for that. Maybe Alice would help me."

He stroked Dawn's forehead. She was burning up.

"There are one of two things that can happen," Pumpkin said, "first, obviously, it could kill her. Second, she could survive and become a half-blood. I don't remember there ever being a record of a half-Siren, half-vampire, but it's a possibility."

"What can I do for her until then?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, someone has to feed her. I have to go out and gather energy for her. When I get back, I can transfer it to her so that she won't die in her sleep. In the meantime, you can just take care of her and be with her. She'll feel your presence even if she's not awake and can't respond. I've also heard in legends that if the bond between the lovers is strong enough that they can mind-link. I don't remember how to do that, either."

She left to assemble Dawn's band. Carlisle sat in the chair beside her hospital bed. Automatically, he switched on the radio. It didn't seem right to leave her in total silence. He rested his head against the side of the bed.

Suddenly, he had a strange feeling. It was as if the room began to fog up. Blackness engulfed him. A few seconds later, he emerged on the beach by an ocean. The shimmering waves were beautiful, better than any tropical vacation pamphlet.

Dawn was emerging from the water, sparkling droplets shining on her golden skin. She ran to him and pounced on him, getting him all wet.

"Dawn!" he breathed, embracing her.

"Hey. Glad you could make it."

He pressed his lips to hers. When they finally resurfaced for air, he brushed a wet strand of hair out of her face and looked into her dark eyes. They were the color of the earth, chocolate, and dark coffee.

"I didn't know if you could do it or not, but I'm glad you did," she told him.

"Dawn, what's happening to you?"

"The venom's eating me up," she sighed, "it doesn't look good. Nor does it feel good. If I were in my physical body right now, I'd be screaming."

"Is there a way I can help you?" he asked.

"Well, pain medication won't do any good...that bastard Alex injected me with red venom. It's slow-acting. I wasn't sure if I'd die or not, so I tried to make it where you couldn't find me. I didn't want to put you through that again. I figured if I just left, it would be easier on you."

She sat down on a nearby rock. He sat beside her.

"There's only one way to guarantee that I don't die, but I can't possibly ask for that."

"Tell me," he demanded.

She shook her head. He grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Dawn, if you really and truly love me, you will tell me. Stop being selfish."

She looked at him, surprised.

"A vampire's heart," she said uneasily, "since vampire hearts don't beat and since they don't need it to send the blood to the rest of their bodies, I would have to have a vampire's heart transplanted into me. My own two hearts aren't going to survive this. The lower one might, but the upper one is decaying as we speak."

"Okay, does blood type or anything have to do with this?" he asked.

"Not likely."

"Is there a specific way it has to be done?"

"You'd have to get my heart out in one piece, which would be really tough. If it escapes, it could cause an infection and kill me. It would let the venom get to the rest of my body. Then, we would have to take the vampire's heart and get it attached. Then, I'd have to be shot through with regular venom to help counteract the red stuff since the green venom heals."

"What would happen if you lived?"

"I'm not sure..." she muttered, "I'm not sure what I'd become."

He started to go, but she pinned him down in place.

"Carlisle, please don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

They kissed again.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Her decaying heart ached as she watched him leave. Never in her lifetime had she felt anything so beautiful as this. She already had an idea of what he planned to do, but she was powerless to stop him.

_Please, God, let him be okay no matter what happens to me._


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Sorry about never finishing this story; my muse went bye-bye last year and I never got it back. I suppose the whole waxing/waning thing should be nothing new by now. I hate leaving things, unfinished, so I figured I'd just make this the end. I may write more if it's requested, but I don't blame you guys if you gave up on me here.

It was worked out ahead of time what they would do. Edward volunteered his heart, though it pained Bella to see him cut open. Carlisle would do the surgery.

Getting Edward's heart out was tough, but once they had made the skin incision, it got easier. By the time Carlisle had placed the silvery, stone-looking heart onto the tray, Edward's skin was sealing shut. He was awake through the entire process and he said it only hurt a little bit. Bella had held his hand but was unable to watch the process. Pumpkin stayed nearby, focusing her energy into Dawn's body to keep it alive. The radio still played.

Carlisle opened Dawn's chest up and parted the skin, the muscle, and finally, the center cartilage that held her ribs together. With the coolness of a seasoned surgeon, he clamped off the veins to the diseased heart and removed it. As soon as it came into contact with the metal tray, it disintegrated. It was a good thing that they were all vampires; the sight would have made them ill otherwise. He connected all the valves, then gave the heart an electrical shock. To everyone's astonishment, it shuddered and started to beat. Then, he and Edward took the prepared syringes of venom and injected them before closing the incision.

The change was almost instant: Dawn's skin took on a silvery sheen like frost. Within a few minutes, the heartbeat on the monitors registered a steady beat.

"I have an idea," Edward commented. He retrieved a donor's bag of blood and tore it open with his teeth. Then, he squeezed it little by little into Dawn's mouth. The swallow reflex still worked.

It was an hour after that when the new hybrid regained consciousness.

"I had the strangest dream," she announced, "I dreamed I was drinking blood."

The room was filled with laughter and sighs of relief. Carlisle was the first one to embrace her.

"Before _anything else_ happens, I have a question," he said to her, "will you marry me?"

"Of course."

The room was filled with applause and suggestive whistles when he kissed her.

…

The wedding was small and simple and they spent their honeymoon in Dawn's castle. After having had some time off, Pumpkin joined Dawn's band and they made a surprisingly good duet. No longer jealous of Pumpkin, Dawn limited the "sibling rivalry" to a few wisecracks here and there. Her songwriting abilities improved significantly now that she was writing from personal experience rather than guesswork.

The vampire lifestyle continued and things were as "normal" as could be expected. They even got used to Dawn's illusions, which she sometimes used to play jokes on them. And of course, now that she didn't have to sleep, she had plenty of time to devote to her artwork as well.

Carlisle never forgot about Esme, but he no longer had the empty, aching feeling in his soul, either. She would have wanted him to go on, he knew. Dawn understood that he would never forget her and she never fussed about it if he said her name.

_You must have been a great woman…shame we never met. Don't worry, I'll take good care of him. It's because of you that I appreciate him, I guess…_ Dawn thought. She placed an armful of white roses on the grave. Then she got in the car and the Cullen family was on to their next adventure.


End file.
